By Ayo Kehinde
Prof Armstrong Idachaba, DG, NBC
Hours after the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) reportedly suspended Channels Television and imposed a fine N5 million for hosting a spokesman of proscribed Independent People Of Biafra (IPOB) to an interview, the station was still air.
According to an official of the TV station who spoke to THISAGE on condition of anonymity, “we also saw the story on online news outlet,” meaning the sanction is yet to be enforced.
According to the NBC, in a letter signed by the Acting Director-General of the Commission, Armstrong Idachaba, Channels television contravened existing broadcasting codes during its 7pm live broadcast programme of Sunday, April 25, 2021,
The interview hosted by Seun Okinbaloye on a program Politics Today, according to the NBC, was in contravention of several of the broadcast codes and extant laws of the land.
The Commission said the TV station erred by allowing a leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB to make secessionist and inciting declarations on air without caution or reprimand..
Idachaba said; ” In the programme a so called new leader or IBOP made several secessionist and inciting declarations or 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 organisation as pronounced by the law courts of the land. This much channels ought to know and respect”, NBC alleged.
The letter cited sections 3.11.1(b) and 5.4.3 of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code as having been violated.
It said Channels was now liable to the suspension of its license and a fine of N5 millon provided in Section 15 of the code for its infractions.
It directed an immediate cessation of the programme and cautioned that the Channels owes the country the “responsibility for a true professional and ethically guided Broadcasting especially at times of crisis.”
