The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the broadcast industry
regulator has sanctioned 86 broadcasting stations in nine zones of the
country for various offenses resulting in contravention of the
provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The stations were fined N11.8 million, with each getting up to N100,000 fine.
Head
Public Affairs at NBC, Mrs. Maimuna Jimada, who confirmed the sanction,
said the contraventions included breaches of the rules on vulgar
lyrics, unverifiable claims and hate speech among others.
According
to her, “The Commission wishes to re-iterate to all broadcasters that
they have a duty to promote the socio-economic well-being of the
Nigerian state and abide strictly by the provisions of the Nigeria
Broadcasting Code.”
A detailed list of the errant stations and
the sanctions applied, showed that NBC investigated 10 zones across the
country and discovered that broadcast stations from nine of the 10 zones
contravened the Nigerian Broadcasting Code. The zones investigated
included Abuja, Benin, Enugu, Ibadan, Jos, Kaduna, Lagos, Maiduguri,
Sokoto and Uyo. Among the 10 zones, only one zone, which is the Sokoto
zone complied fully with the broadcasting code and was not fined.
While
19 broadcasting stations in Abuja zone were fined a total of
N2.4million; four broadcasting stations in Benin zone were fined
N500,000; 20 broadcasting stations in Enugu zone were N2.8 million; 12
broadcasting stations in Ibadan zone were fined N1.3 million, and only
one station in Jos zone was fined N100,000.
In Kaduna zone, 12
broadcasting stations were fined N1.8 million; three stations fined
N1.05 million in Lagos zone; another three stations fined N300,000 in
Maiduguri zone, while 12 stations were fined N1.6 million in Uyo zone,
totaling N11.8 million from 86 broadcasting stations in all nine zones
that were investigated.
Having sanctioned the broadcasting stations, NBC directed them to pay their fines without delay.
The
Commission also advised other stations that have complied with the
broadcasting code, to continue to do so in the interest of the country,
and warned those stations that erred to amend their ways immediately.
The
NBC also warned against unprofessional broadcasting that could incite
the people against each other, especially as the country is preparing
for its 2019 general elections.
The Director General of NBC,
Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, had warned broadcasters not to broadcast contents
that are not factual and capable of destabilising the Nigerian economy.
“Permit me to remind our broadcasters, that as we approach the
electioneering period, stations must do everything professional to
promote democracy. Broadcasters are reminded that they have a duty to
respect all extant laws related to the reportage and coverage of the
electoral process. Don’t broadcast campaigns when the period for
commencement of campaigns have not commenced.
We are disturbed by
the pattern of insensitive and inflammatory broadcasts emanating from
some broadcast stations, especially in their coverage of national
crises, like the Herdsmen/Farmer crises,” Kawu said recently.
According
to him, “We have observed that some stations deliberately and
repeatedly air very inciting contents long after the events break. We
have warned stations that they must follow the tenets of the
Broadcasting Code. Having warned broadcasters, we shall follow up with
appropriate sanctions should any station continue to violate the
Broadcasting Code.