Oluwatomisin Amokeoja
The Lagos Zonal office of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has warned broadcasters to be professional in handling guests and callers fond of using denigrating words as stations deficient in compliance risk sanctions.
NBC’s Zonal Director, Dr. Chibuike Ogwumike said in a letter to broadcast stations that the Commission may be compelled to impose sanctions where stations fail to curb this practice.
Former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Obadiah Mailafia, was invited by DSS Headquarters, Jos, Plateau State, on Wednesday over his interview last Monday on Nigeria Info, Abuja 95.1 FM during which he alleged that one of the Governors of northern Nigeria is a commander of Boko Haram. He was released after questioning.
The station’s management has reportedly been summoned by the NBC over the broadcast said to be a violation of the broadcasting code and there are indications that the station may be sanctioned.
Full text of the letter dated August 3, 2020 reads:
Monitoring activities indicate that in the recent time, some broadcast stations have abdicated their editorial responsibilities such that guests and callers on programmes abuse and insult leaders and those in authority freely and without caution.
May I please draw your attention to the following provisions of the Broadcasting Code:
Section 3.1. Professional Rules
3.1.1 No broadcast shall encourage or incite to crime, lead to public disorder or hate, be repugnant to public feelings or contain an offensive reference to any person or organization, alive or dead or generally be disrespectful to human dignity.
Also, 3.1.19 The broadcast shall not transmit content that denigrates the social norms, values and culture of the society.
We understand without a doubt that as broadcasters you have a duty to hold government and leaders accountable to the people, but this must not be done in abusive language.
To denigrate our elders and leaders in abusive terms is not our culture. We respect our leaders as a positive cultural value.
We expect Broadcasters, especially anchors to show professionalism in the handling of programmes such that guest or callers that exhibit such tendency are professionally handled.
The recourse to abusing, denigrating and insulting the President, Governors, MPs and other leaders does not show us as cultured people.
