The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has come out to vent against the recent decision of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, to slam some infractions and revoke the licenses of over 52 broadcast stations in Nigeria due to media mishaps.
It has also been recalled that NBC had announced that it would be revoking the broadcast licences of Silverbird TV, AIT, Raypower FM, and Rhythm FM, amongst others too.
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The Director-General of the NBC, Mallam Balarabe Shehu, who had made the disclosure on Friday, had also noted that the development followed the failure of the media houses to renew their broadcast licences.
Reacting, SERAP in a tweet threatened to sue NBC if they do not reverse the decision.
” The decision by the Buhari administration to revoke the licences of over 50 television and radio stations is a deliberate ploy to stifle media freedom, free expression and access to information in Nigeria.
” The decision must be immediately reversed.” SERAP tweeted.
In another report, In lieu of the detailed reportage on Terrorism in Nigeria which had been recently released by some media houses, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) have slammed a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari, urging the court to “declare arbitrary and illegal the N5million which had been imposed on Multichoice Nigeria Limited, Trust TV, NTA-Startimes Limited and Telccom Satellite Limited, over their documentaries on terrorism in the country.”
Joined in the suit as defendants are also Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
NBC had last week imposed fines on the media houses, insisting that their documentaries “glorified the activities of bandits and undermines national security in Nigeria” and contravene the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.