NBC Chairman: Broadcast Code, An Illegality By Lai Mohammed

THE National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has handed down a N5million fine on Lagos-based radio station, Nigeria Info 99.3Fm, over what it called professional misconduct.
In a press statement by the management, which was circulated by Director, Public Affairs, Ekanem Antia, the commission said it sanctioned the radio station for violating the Nigeria Broadcasting Code by its handling of the programme: “Morning Cross Fire”, aired on August 10, 2020, between 8.30am and 9.00am in which it featured a former CBN Deputy Governor, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia.
It accused the station of providing its platform for the guest to promote unverifiable and inciting views that could encourage or incite to crime and lead to public disorder. The commission insisted that the action of the radio station was in total violation of the newly amended NBC Code and directed it to pay the sum of N5,000,000 to serve as deterrent to other stations.
The sanction came as Chairman of the Board of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Alhaji Ikra Bilbis, described the 6th National Broadcasting Code as an illegality perpetrated by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and acting Director-General of the Commission, Professor Armstrong Idachaba.
Also, former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has kicked against the new national broadcasting code, describing it as a move to gag the media and prevent the Fourth Estate of the Realm from performing its constitutional responsibility. The sanction The NBC statement  sanctioning Nigeria Info 99.3Fm read in part:
‘’The National Broadcasting Commission has noted with grave concern, the unprofessional conduct of Nigeria Info 99.3FM, Lagos, in the handling of the Programme, ‘Morning Cross Fire’, aired on August 10, 2020, between 8.30am and 9.00am.
“The station provided its platform for the guest, Dr. Mailafia Obadiah, to promote unverifiable and inciting views that could encourage or incite to crime and lead to public disorder.‘’
The Commission, again, wishes to reiterate that broadcasters hold licences in trust for the people. Therefore, no broadcast station should be used to promote personal or sectional interests at the expense of the people.
‘’Dr. Mailafia Obadiah’s comments on the ‘Southern Kaduna Crisis’, were devoid of facts and by broadcasting same to the public, Nigeria Info 99.3fm, is in violation of  sections of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.”
However, NBC Chairman,  Alhaji Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, told reporters in Abuja yesterday that the new code  was an illegality perpetrated by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and acting Director-General of the Commission, Professor Armstrong Idachaba.
Efforts to get Lai Mohammed to speak on the issue proved abortive. The minister and his aide did not pick calls to their phones and were yet to reply text messages at press time.
According to Bilbis, the actions of Mohammed and Armstrong Idachaba amounted to usurpation of the powers of commission.
He stated that previous information ministers never interfered with the review of the code, noting that the NBC Act empowered the commission to regulate industry practice standards, not the Information Minister.
He declared that Mohammed’s version of the NBC Code falls short of basic regulation-making, standards, as it was marked by indifference to stakeholder inclusiveness.
▪︎ Report by Vanguard