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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
More Condemnations have trailed threats to broadcast stations and journalists by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
The regulatory body had accused Arise Television of flouting its code by not curtailing the utterances of guests, especially on the station’s ‘Morning Show’ programme, and threatened to sanction the media organisation.
But, the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, at a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday, stated that the NBC’s action was an anathema to Nigeria’s Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression.
Director of the School of Thought, Dr. Sam Amadi, explained that any attempt to suffocate the existence of the media would lead to anarchy and authoritarianism.
He maintained that the NBC should allow those who feel defamed to seek legal redress, instead slamming unwarranted sanctions on media organisations.
Also, a research fellow of the school, Paul Obi, noted that NBC’s action had created an impression of being an appendage of the current administration.
According to him, the NBC was not established to please or act as a ‘candy shop’ for the three arms of government, neither was it set up to protect the president and his office from being held accountable for constitutional breaches, like forgery of document(s) and official misdemeanor.
Obi said: “For the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, we find the recent threats and warning by the NBC to Arise News as an indication of the decay of our democracy, and smacks of partisan overzealousness of a regulatory agency that is strategically meant to serve Nigerians.
“Rather, the NBC as acted as if it is an appendage, and overzealous pleaser of the Presidency and top echelon of Nigerian power strata.
“While the Abuja School of Thought is not holding brief for any individual, organisations, institutions or have an agenda, we find the reasons the NBC relied upon to issue a warning to the Arise News as befuddling, undemocratic, autocratic, and as well unconstitutional.
“By sending a threat letter to the Arise News, titled, ‘Preponderance of Derogatory and Incendiary Remarks: Final Warning,’ the NBC exposed itself in a fishing expedition to please the ego of the Presidency, and the ruling class, and shield them from the democratic tenets of accountability and transparency.
“For the NBC to have stated that the Arise News programme contained unguarded incendiary remarks by Dele Farotimi against the legislature, executive, judiciary and Mr President is indicative of the complete derailment of its statutory obligation to the Nigerian state and its people.
“First, the NBC was not established to please or act as a candy shop for the three branches of government. Nor was it set up to protect the President and his office from being held accountable for constitutional breaches like forgery of document(s) and official misdemeanour.
“Second, the question we need to ask the NBC and its agents provocateurs is to find out whether Mr Dele Farotimi’s interrogation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s alleged forgery case associated with the Chicago State University (CSU) and the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, constitute preponderance of derogatory and incendiary remarks.
“Has the NBC lost its track and memory that the Nigerian 1999 Constitution in Section 137, Subsection 1, Paragraph J stipulates that a person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if – (a)….(j) he has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission?”
