NBC: We’ll keep summoning anyone who violates broadcasting code

Balarabe Ilelah, director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has called on media platforms to adhere to the regulations of the commission.

Ilelah said the commission will not hesitate to “keep on summoning anyone who goes contrary to NBC code”.

Anchors of Channels Television were summoned by the commission last week over an interview granted to Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue state.

While appearing as a guest on Sunrise Daily, the governor had accused President Muhammadu Buhari of trying to “Fulanise” Nigeria.

In reaction, NBC said Channels violated six of its rules during the broadcast of the interview, and that the anchors did not “thoroughly interrogate” the governor.

Speaking on Monday when members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) visited the commission’s office in Abuja, the Ilelah said the NBC will continue to regulate and sanitise the media.

He said: “As leaders of your various reputable and responsible organisation, I want you to tell your members that nobody is above the law.

“All of us must live within the coverage of the law and we must be held accountable. Journalism is a profession that has ethics, we are supposed to operate within the ethics of the profession.

“You came to the commission based on some reports from the social media. As a journalist, I know that news coming from social media are not verified and normally when you get information from anywhere, you need to verify the source of the news.

“But when the news had no source and then you went again and keep on spreading the news, that is not journalism.

“We are going to keep on fighting people that are spreading fake news, the commission will not be scared and will keep on summoning anyone who goes contrary to NBC code.

“NBC is not here to suppress press freedom, but to guide the press. Our duty is to make sure that everybody is given a fair playing ground so that you can say whatever you want to say that is according to the law.”