Mailafia: ‌NBC Fines Nigeria Info N5milliion For Airing ‘Subversive Rhetoric’

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on Thursday fined Nigeria Info, N5m, a radio station, for a recent comment made by a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Obadiah Mailaifa during a broadcast by the station.

Nigeria Info was fined for alleged unprofessional broadcast,” according to the NBC management.

The NBC management stated this in a statement titled, ‘The National Broadcasting Commission Fines Nigeria Info 99.3 For Unprofessional Broadcast’.

Mailafia, who was on Monday interviewed by the station on one of its programmes, Morning CrossFire, had commented on the southern Kaduna killings, which is one of the worst affected States in the North West region by bandits activities.

“Some of us also have our intelligence networks. I have met with some of the bandits; we have met with some of their high commanders – one or two who have repented – they have sat down with us not once, not twice.

“They told us that one of the northern governors is the commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria. Boko Haram and the bandits are one and the same. They have a sophisticated network. During this lockdown their planes were moving up and down as if there was no lockdown.

“They were moving ammunition, moving money, and distributing them across different parts of the country,” the former Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress said during the programme.

But NBC in its statement said, “The National Broadcasting Commission has noted with grave concern, the unprofessional conduct of Nigeria Info 99.3FM, Lagos, in the handling of the Programme, “Morning Cross Fire”, aired on August 10, 2020, between 8.30am and 9.00am.

“The station provided its platform for the guest, Dr. Mailafia Obadiah, to promote unverifiable and inciting views that could encourage or incite to crime and lead to public disorder.

“Dr. Mailafia Obadia’s comments on the “Southern Kaduna Crisis”, were devoid of facts and by broadcasting same to the public, Nigeria Info 99.3FM, is in violation of the following sections of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code:

“In line with the amendment of the 6th edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, Nigeria Info 99.3FM Lagos, has been fined the sum of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira), only.

“This is expected to serve as a deterrent to all other broadcast stations in Nigeria who are quick to provide platform for subversive rhetoric and the expositions of spurious and unverifiable claims, to desist from such.

“The Commission wishes to put it on record that it will not hesitate to suspend the Broadcast Licence of broadcast stations that continue to breach the Code.

“Stations are, by this statement, admonished to desist forthwith, from airing unwholesome content, or be ready to face appropriate sanctions.”

Mailafia was earlier invited, detained and eventually released by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Mailafia had served as chief economist in the Strategic Planning and Budgeting Department of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

The 63-year-old had served as CBN deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from 2005 to 2007.

Recall that NBC had recently reviewed its broadcasting code and raised the fine from N500, 000 to 5 million naira.