Justice Inyang Ekpo of the Federal High Court has ordered that parties in the case of DAAR communications and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) should maintain the status quo pending a hearing on June 13, 2019.
The Director General of the NBC, Modibbo Kawu, had on Thursday, announced the suspension of AIT and Ray Power FM, owned by Raymond Dokpesi, for violating its guidelines.
The pending hearing is for NBC to show the cause why the reliefs sort by DAAR communications should not be granted.
DAAR communications had earlier filed a motion seeking an ex parte order of interim injuction in its favour restraining the NBC, whether by themselves, their agents, operatives, servants and/or privies, howsoever called, from blocking, jamming, stopping, removing from air and/or interfering with the airwaves of the plaintiff/applicant in any way and manner howsoever, in its broadcast and airing of news, views, documentaries, or any other legitimate broadcast material that is usually associated with television, radio or social media broadcast pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed along with this application.
Alternatively, they asked the court for an order to maintain status quo ante bellum as at May 30, 2019, pending the hearing and final determination of the motion on notice filed along with this application.
The grounds for bringing this application according to DAAR communication is that in the best tenets and tradition of broadcast and in compliance with section 22 of 1999 constitution it had carried out it’s duties legally, legitimately, morally and nationalistically, in informing, educating and entertaining Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora on sundry matters, which activities have energized and contributed to national development and also nurtured, widened, deepened and strengthened democracy, rule of law, human rights and anti-corruption in Nigeria.
Daar Communications also averred that since the emergence of the present government, it has been under close surveillance and undue monitoring of its operations by the present government which wrongly believes that the plaintiff/applicant had been too supportive of the immediate past government.
According to their motion Daar Communication also said that sometimes on April 16, 2019, agents of the Federal Government represented by the 1st defendant, in a gestapo- like- manner, attacked and pulled down the two buildings and gates leading to the plaintiff/applicants operational headquarters which damage and destruction run into hundreds of millions of naira.
They also averred that shutting down its broadcast services will deny the majority of Nigerians access to information which is constitutionally guaranteed and its teaming workers of their means of livelihood.
The judge, therefore, adjourned to June 13, 2019, for NBC to show the cause why the reliefs sort by DAAR communications should not be granted.
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