THE National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has fined a radio station, Nigeria Info FM, a fine of N5 million over an interview granted to Obadiah Mailafia , a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The NBC disclosed this in a press statement on Thursday that the fine was as a result of the ‘unprofessional conduct of the radio station in a ‘Morning Crossfire’ programme aired on August 10.
According to NBC, the station provided its platform for Mailafia ‘to promote unverifiable and inciting views that could encourage or incite to crime and lead to public disorder’.
It stated that Mailafia’s comments on the “Southern Kaduna crisis”, were devoid of facts and by broadcasting it to the public, the radio station violated the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The Commission added that the interview was in violation of the seven sections of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code of Conduct including ‘ensuring that all sides to any issue of public interest are equitably presented for fairness and balance’.
“Consequent on these provisions and in line with the amendment of the sixth 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,” the statement read.
The Commission further wrote that the fine would serve as a deterrent to other broadcast stations that provide platform for ‘unverifiable claims’ among others.
“This is expected to serve as a deterrent to all other broadcast stations in Nigeria who are quick to provide a 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,” NBC wrote.
Malafia, while speaking on a radio programme on the Southern Kaduna killings had alleged that a Northern governor is a sponsor of the Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria.
“We have good reasons to believe that the government is part and parcel of the killers. The body language of this administration shows clearly that they have a hand in the killings, no doubt about it.
“Let me make some revelations because some of us have our internal security networks, we have met with some of the bandits’ high commanders who have repented and they told us that one of the Northern governors is the Commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria,” Mailafia said.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94