The Federal Government, on Monday, November 2, 2020, insisted that the 3 broadcast stations (Channels, Arise TV, and African Independent Television) that were recently sanctioned by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), acted irresponsibly in their coverage of the #ENDSARS protests, and said there is no going back on the sanctions.
This disclosure was made by the Director-General of the NBC, Professor Armstrong Idachaba, during a visit to his office by members of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), according to Vanguard.
The NBC DG, while receiving members of the Nigerian Institute of Public relations (NIPR), who came to appeal for a review of the sanctions, however, noted that the broadcast stations were yet to pay the fine, despite the fact that it gave them 2 weeks for the payment.
The President and Chairman of the Council of the NIPR, Mallam Mukhtar Sirajo, called on NBC to review the sanctions, especially as it is crucial that government agencies are not seen to be over-heating the policy.
Idachaba, however, noted that the NBC, on noticing the deviation and breach of the Broadcast code by the stations, had issued a statement and a memo to them, and also met with the executive officers of the stations to bring them in line. However, they continued in their irresponsible coverage of the protests.
Details later…
