By Akinwale Kasali
The Nigeria Press Organisation, NPO, has slammed the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, NBC, over the fines imposed on three Television Stations for allegedly airing what the NBC called inciting news items during the #EndSARS protest. The Television Stations so fined are Arise Television, AIT and Channels Television.
Nigerian Youths, in their thousands had embarked on a nationwide protest against Police brutality and extra-judicial killings.
But on October 22, the peaceful protest, which was gradually hijacked by hoodlums, went awry. Soldiers had used live bullets on the protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, injuring many and allegedly, according to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, two fatalities.
But hoodlums had embarked on an unprecedented looting and destruction nationwide. Among the many business places looted and razed were The Nation Newspapers and the TV Continental both, allegedly owned by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, an APC chieftain.
On Monday, the NPO, made up of the Newspapers Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, NPAN, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, and the Nigeria Guild of Editors, NGE, paid a solidarity visit to both Media houses.
Speaking the President of the NPO, Nduka Obaigbena, who is also the owner of ThisDay Newspapers and Arise Television said the attacks on Media Houses was deliberate, and has been worsened by the fine imposed on the three Television stations. He assured the media houses of the support of the NPO.
In the same manner, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in a statement released via its official Twitter account asked the NBC to rescind this rushed clampdown and handle its regulatory role more professionally.
The PDP condemned, in its entirety, the clampdown on the major broadcast stations over their coverage of the protedrs, alleging it is a witchunt and a way of gagging the media from from performing its responsibility.
Noted the PDP:“The PDP asserts that the rush to impose monetary fines on the television stations by the National Broadcast Commission (NBC), smacks of a fresh attempt to further gag the media, suppress free speech and Nigerians’ access to information.
“Indeed, this clampdown on broadcast stations, if anything, has heightened widespread public apprehensions of attempts at concealments of details and suppression of material evidence relating to human rights violations during the protest.
“In fact, this display of high-handedness by the NBC has hugely detracted from the efforts being made by well-meaning Nigerians to douse the tension in the land and reassure Nigerians at this critical time
“The NBC should rescind this rushed clampdown and handle its regulatory role more professionally.
“Our party holds that, in the course of information handling, especially in a crisis situation as we witnessed in the last two weeks, where caution is required, draconian measures should not be an option. Rather, all efforts should be towards national healing.
“Instead of seeking to gag the media, Nigerians would rather expect establishments like the NBC to be on the side of the people by urging government agencies to come up with information, particularly, such that contain critical pieces of evidence that would guarantee justice for victims of brutality by unscrupulous security operatives
“While the PDP calls for caution by all Nigerians, especially in the handling of information, we urge agencies of government to be mindful of actions that are capable of acerbating the already precarious situation in which we have found ourselves.
“The PDP restates its call for calm and restrain in the general interest of the unity and stability of our nation,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has condemned NBC’s action.
“This action by NBC is yet another example of Nigerian authorities’ push to silence independent media and voices. NBC should drop the fines and uphold Nigerian constitution and international obligations to respect and protect freedom of expression and media freedom. We will sue NBC if the unconstitutional fines are not rescinded within 48 hours,” a statement by its deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare read.
“This is a new low in Nigeria’s protection of freedom of expression, and the ability of independent media to function in the country. The fines are detrimental to media freedom, and access to information, and the NBC must immediately withdraw the decision.”
SERAP further said: “President Muhammadu Buhari should caution the NBC to stop intimidating and harassing independent media houses and to respect the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations, including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights”
