The International Press Centre (IPC), has expressed disappointment over the heavy fine of N5 million imposed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), to Nigeria Info.
The Centre further requested for an immediate reversal of the fine, maintaining that it was a burden on the NBC to do the right thing.
The DAILY VENDOR recalls that on Thursday, the NBC had hinged its decision on alleged unprofessional conduct by the radio station in the handling of its Program, ‘Morning Cross Fire’, on August 10, 2020, between 8:30am and 9:00am.
NBC stated: “The station provided its platform for the guest, Dr. Mailafia Obadiah, to promote unverified and inciting views that could encourage or incite crime and lead to public disorder.”
Lanre Arogundade, the Executive Director of IPC, in a statement said that the NBC gave the impression that it was the Radio Station that put words in the mouth of the guest and went on to impose a fine without any evidence whatsoever that the alleged statement had degraded any person or groups of persons, which would have amounted to hate speech.
Arogundade said: “Even if a case of hate speech can be established, it is totally out of place in a democratic setting that NBC would be the one to accuse, prosecute and judge its case against the station.”
He noted that the heavy fine on the station amounted to an assault on media independence, freedom of expression and the right of citizens to know about issues of public interest.
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