Nigeria Info: PDP Faults N5m Fine, Alleges Media Clampdown By Govt

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday condemned the N5million fine slammed on a Radio Station, Nigeria Info, on Thursday by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over alleged “unprofessional broadcast.”

A statement on Friday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the fine was a renewed clampdown on the media and the gagging of free speech in the country by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.

Nigeria Info was fined over a recent comment made by former a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Obadiah Mailaifa, during a broadcast by the station.

Mailafia, who was on Monday interviewed by the station on one of its programmes, Morning CrossFire, had commented on the killings Southern Kaduna in Kaduna State, one of the worst affected states in the North West by the activities of bandits.

He also during the programme that a northern governor was a leader of the Boko Haram terrorists group.

After the programme, Mailafia was invited by the Plateau State command of the Department of State Services (DSS). He was subsequently released, though he said that he stood by his comment that a northern governor was the leader of the Boko Haram.

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 Obadiah’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.”

Ologbondiyan said the government could not sanction a media house or an individual for exercising their right to free speech.

“The PDP holds that if any anybody, be him the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a state governor, a Senator of the Federal Republic, a Member of the House of Representatives, a public entity, or even the most ordinary Nigerian, have been libeled or infringed upon by any other Nigerian, the process for redress is clearly stated in the 1999 Constitution
(as amended), and should be followed,” he said.

“As a party, the PDP stands against draconian methods or underhand measures which this administration has set out to gag the media and erode the rights of Nigerians as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended)”, he added.

According to PDP spokesman, due process must be followed for redress in instances where violations are alleged and not by “extra judicial sanctions and clampdown on the media, as being witnessed under the APC administration.”

Furthermore, he called on the government to rescind its action and revert to due process, as provided by the 1999 Constitution, in handling issues relating to the freedom of the media.

Recall that the 6th Amendment to National Broadcasting Code was unveiled by Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information on August 4, 2020 in Lagos.

This time, the Code stipulates that those who fall foul of the provision of the broadcast code on hate speech shall pay a fine of N5m, which was raised from N500,000. According to the minister, this will compel media houses to scrutinise adverts and reports before publishing them. He said an offender who violates this law on three occasions will have the operating licence suspended.

Meanwhile, the DSS on Friday, claimed that Mailafia had apologised for using fake news to mislead the public.