The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has been reminded that the media’s role in a democracy is to amplify conversations by hearing from all the sides, and not to become a government propaganda mouthpiece.
This reminder is contained in a statement by a non-governmental organisation, Spaces for Change, condemning the suspension of ‘Politics Today,’ a prominent programme of Channels Television because it aired an interview with Emma Powerful, the spokesman of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra. The station was also fined N5 million.
Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Spaces for Change executive director, in the statement, said the sanction against Channels TV represents a continuous systematic clampdown on the media, arguing that it violates not only the fundamental right of speech and expression but a calculated attempt to silence the media’s reportage of national issues that elicit public concern.
The statement reads:
“A press statement signed by the Acting Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Professor Armstrong Idachaba, disclosed that the sanctions stemmed from the Station’s interview of the Spokesperson of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Emma Powerful, on the live programme ‘Politics Today’ aired on Sunday, 25th April 2021. The Commission accused the station of allowing IPOB spokesperson make secessionist declarations and derogatory statements about the Nigerian Army that contravenes several broadcast codes and extant laws of the land.
“We cannot but point out the unfairness exhibited by the NBC in the sanctions imposed on the news outfit. Following the recent events of insecurity in the southeast region of the country, Mr Emma Powerful had appeared on Channels TV to address some pertinent issues and unsubstantiated claims that accused the IPOB group as culprits behind the attacks on security posts in the southeast – exercising his rights to a fair hearing and free speech which are fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria. It is also important to point out that in a conflict situation, the media has an obligation to report all the sides. This is the only way to meet the standard of objectivity required of the media in the discharge of its reporting duties.
“Moreover, the recent sanctions on the TV station are coming at a time when the media landscape is yet to recover from the vicious blows of harassment and intimidation dealt on it during the coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide #ENDSARS protests. The database www.closingspaces.org lists press freedom and free speech as the categories with the highest incidents of violations on the civic space in Nigeria – with state actors and law enforcement agents identified as the highest perpetrators of vicious attacks that suppress the expression of these freedoms. This unfortunate clampdown of the media also lays credence to Nigeria’s poor ranking as 115th out of 180 countries on the 2020 World Press Freedom Index which not only described Nigeria as a ‘climate of permanent violence’ but also one of West Africa’ most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists to thrive.
“Under Nigerian law, the arbitrary sanctions imposed on the media outfit constitutes a rude violation of the fundamental rights of citizens to hold opinions, receive and impart information without interference as stipulated in Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999. Not only that, the Freedom of Information Act guarantees the media and citizens the right to access public information and the activities of public institutions in order to ensure accountability and transparency in governance. Indeed, the consistent onslaught on media freedoms and journalists discloses a frightening reality of how regulatory authorities often latch on laws around national security and public interest to advance chilling crackdowns on civic freedoms.
“SPACES FOR CHANGE reiterates that the sanctions imposed on Channels TV are unjustified and urges NBC to quit its parochial offensive against media outlets and institutions engaging in legitimate journalistic duties. The media does not exist to speak the voice of the government of the day but to amplify conversations, report objectively, provides clarity on topical issues that enable members of the public to define solutions and build consensus on national conversations.”