The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), on Wednesday, again, warned broadcast stations against violating the broadcast code ahead of the March 18 governorship and state houses of assembly elections.
NBC said it sanctioned 25 stations for contravening the code during the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The commission also said it issued a final warning to 16 other broadcast stations for various offences.
Balarabe Ilelah, the director-general of NBC, stated this during a press conference in Abuja. He, however, did not name the affected broadcast stations or the nature of the sanction.
He disclosed that one station was sanctioned for broadcasting the results of the election before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the results which contravene Section 5.33 of the NBC code; while three broadcast stations were sanctioned for inciting comments, and another four were sanctioned for divisive ethnic/religious content.
He also said 17 stations were sanctioned for broadcasting partisan party content after the prescribed 24-hour stoppage time by NBC, while four stations have been sanctioned for divisive comments.
“In the course of our monitoring, the commission observed, with dismay, that some broadcast stations allowed their platforms to be used by some guests, callers, and analysts to score unhealthy political points inimical to our corporate existence,” Ilelah said.
“Ethnic and religious profiling became awfully rampant. Invectives and counterblasts were thrown freely by guests on the platform of broadcast stations to the detriment of the Nigerian people.
“Subversive discussions and reckless comments, capable of tearing us apart as a people were broadcast freely without proper gatekeeping. Ethics and professionalism were thrown overboard.
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“The commission wishes to remind you that we have one country. And if we pave way for anarchy, we will all be affected. We are only in business because we have peace. Our diversity should be our strength, our assets, our power. We must guard this jealously. History shows that all civil wars ever fought by people of the same race, started in the media. When those who should dish out information become biased and pitch camp with different groups, division is heightened,” he further explained.
The DG stated that the broadcast stations have a duty to protect the nation’s unity and punctuate diversity as a distinctive mark of pride and promote sustainable democracy in Nigeria.
Ilelah warned that ahead of Saturday’s governorship and state assembly polls, all broadcast stations must adhere to the provision of the law on broadcasting.
