ELECTIONS: SANCTION MEDIA HOUSES FOR HATE SPEECH, APC TELLS NBC

Presidential campaign organisation of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), today called on the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) to sanction media organisations that print/ broadcast materials which tend to promote violence.

Besides, it equally noted that the two regulatory bodies has as of  responsibility to screen print adverts for publication and issuing certificate of clearance.

The campaign organisation also put up a challenge to the NBC to put into effect its threat to wield the big stick against erring broadcast stations by applying its Code to all industry players across board without fear or favor.

According to a statement signed by the Director Media and Publicity of the APCPCO, Malam Garba Shehu, the organisation noted that, "As heartwarming as the words of the DG of the broadcast regulatory body was, it must be matched with action if the NBC is not to be perceived as indirectly helping in promoting a culture of political violence in the country.

"The NBC has soon forgotten the role it played through its inaction against some TV Stations when they aired a dirty and false documentary on General Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the APC.

"The specific code that these TV stations have contravened is Section 3.1.2 of the NBC Code which states that ‘materials/statements likely to incite or encourage the commission of a crime or lead to public disorder shall not be aired.’

"This is a breach, which attracts severe penalty of suspension of license or outright withdrawal of the license of that station, but to the surprise of many industry observers and Nigerians, to date nothing has been done to the errant Stations.

"Such action or inaction of the NBC calls into question the neutrality of many government regulatory bodies especially in an election time like this where the incumbent President is on the ballot.

"The situation is also the same with the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, the regulatory body saddled with the responsibility of screening print adverts for publication and issuing certificate of clearance."

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