NBC Suspends Channels Television, Fines Station N5m

In a letter to the Managing Director of Channels Television which was signed by the Acting Director-General of the Commission, NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, NBC accused Channels TV of allowing the Spokesperson of the Indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB, Emma Powerful to make secessionist and inciting declarations on air without caution or reprimand contrary to the broadcast code.

The Commission further alleged that in spite of the fact that IPOB has been proscribed by a court of law, ChannelsTV in its 7 pm live broadcast programme of Sunday, 25th April 2021, allowed its spokesperson to make what it called “derogatory, false and misleading statements about the Nigerian army.”

According to NBC, the interview hosted by Seun Okinbaloye on the live programme “Politics Today” on Sunday night, was in contravention of several of the broadcast codes and extant laws of the land.

The letter reads in part: “We refer to the broadcast of your programme of Sunday, the 25th April, 202, 7 pm. In the programme, a so-called new leader of IPOB made several secessionist and inciting declarations on air without caution or reprimand by your station. He also made derogatory, false and misleading statements about the Nigerian army.

“This is reprehensible; especially that IPOB remains a proscribed organization as pronounced by the courts of the land. This much, Channels TV ought to know and respect. The programme was very clearly in violation of the provisions of the Code, and extant provisions of the Broadcasting Act.

Refer, sections 3.11.1{b} and 5.4.3 of the Code which state the following: 3.11.1 (b) says: ‘‘The broadcaster shall ensure that no programme contains anything which amounts to subversion of the constituted authority of compromises the unity of corporate existence of Nigeria as a sovereign state.

“Section 5.4.3: In reporting conflict situations, the broadcaster shall perform the role of a peace agent by adhering to the principle of responsibility, accuracy and neutrality.’