The National Broadcasting Commission has issued a query to foremost television station, Channels Television, to explain why appropriate sanctions should not be taken against it for allegedly running foul of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The station has 24 hours to respond to the query, according to a letter by NBC Director General, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, the commission.
The programme Channels was queried over featured Governor of Benue State, Governor Samuel Ortom.
Ortom, a guest on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily last Tuesday said he was disappointed at the way the president has handled certain critical matters in the country, especially insecurity.
He was reacting to the president’s open grazing policy.
“Mr President is pushing me to think that what they say about him, that he has a hidden agenda in this country is true,” Ortom said, adding: “because it is very clear that he wants to fulanise but he is not the first Fulani president.
“Shagari was a Fulani President, Yar’ Adua was a Fulani President and they were the best in the history. But President Buhari is the worst President when it comes to issues of security and keeping his promises.
“Go back to 2015, what did he say, human rights issues, he talked about press freedom, about the economy, corruption, security, tell me one that Mr President has achieved.
“He has achieved some level of development in other sectors but these prominent things that are concerns to Nigerians and we are all worried about.. tell me when Mr President has come out to address them. Is it corruption, we are worse in the history of this country”.
Ortom wondered why the President was insisting on open grazing when most state governors had opted for ranching.
“If Mr President respects the law, the Land Use Act gives governors the power to preside over land administration on behalf of the people that they govern.
“So it is amazing and I am surprise to hear this coming from Mr President as if he doesn’t have an Attorney General, or Lawyers around him to advise him. I think Mr President was misquoted or he did it out of error. He should come out to apologise to Nigerians.”
In its query, the NBC said the programme contained inciting, divisive and unfair comments which were not thoroughly interrogated by the anchors.
The programme Channels was queried over featured Governor of Benue State, Governor Samuel Ortom.
The NBC said the programme contained inciting, divisive and unfair comments which were not thoroughly interrogated by the anchors.
