The Director General, of the National Broadcast Commission NBC Mall. Balarabe Shehu has again threatened to shutdown and revoke licences of erring stations breaching broadcasting codes before and after the gubernatorial and State Assembly elections.
He made this assertion on Tuesday, 7th March 2023, at a meeting held with major network broadcasters to evaluate their performance in the just concluded 2023 Presidential / National Assembly Elections.
According to a statement on the NBC verified facebook page, Ilelah stated that” the NBC is giving its last warning to broadcast stations and will not hesitate to shut down any station or revoke its licence once it is convinced that the activities of that station is capable of undermining the peaceful co-existence of the country; and any further breaches of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code/ Act will no longer be tolerated.”
The Director General in his speech pointed out that the Commission had keenly monitored the coverage of the elections by some broadcast stations and noted with serious concern how these stations have availed unpatriotic individuals with their platforms to make utterances that are subversive, hateful, and inciting in nature, particularly in the post-2023 Presidential Election”.
He however noted that the coverage of the elections and post-election matters were marred with unguarded statements, divisive and dangerous comments.
Mall. Ilelah while reiterating that the media has a role to play as the fourth estate of the realm in ensuring national development and democracy, as well as, pushing narratives of national reconciliation and healing in these unsettling times, called on broadcast stations to avoid the promotion of negative conversations which he said, is not only dangerous to our democracy but poses a threat to Nigeria’s corporate existence.
Furthermore, the DG, acknowledged that using broadcast platforms to incite supporters or create enmity will not help in deepening our democratic culture.
He, therefore, noted that in as much as the Commission believes in the freedom of expression, it is also seriously constrained to act decisively on any broadcaster that exploits the fragile peace of our nation.
The NBC Boss also commended the media for their efforts in ensuring a peaceful pre-election coverage, especially for their selfless service to keeping the citizens informed.
In conclusion, Mall Ilelah appealed to the broadcast stations to abide strictly by the laid down rules of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, the Act, and other extant laws guiding broadcasting in Nigeria.
He stressed that, the media has an editorial responsibility in ensuring that national issues discussed on the broadcast airwaves must be done with decorum, civility, patriotism and a sense of fairness to individuals given the opportunity to speak on their platforms.
