The Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, NBC, has given reasons why it suspended AIT and Raypower which both belong to Daar Communications.
According to the Director-General of NBC, Malam Is’haq Modibbo-Kawu, who spoke on Thursday in Abuja, AIT and Raypower were suspended for failure to abide by Nigerian Broadcasting Code.
He revealed that in 2017, the authorities of AIT and Raypower were summoned over the programmed Kakaaki which they saw as airing divisive and offensive content which breaches the provisions of the NBC Act and Broadcast Code.
He said:
“In their relationship with the NBC, Daar communications carry on as if it is beyond the regulatory direction of the commission.
“They don’t pay their licence fees as and when due and its broadcast is patently partisan and one sided and deliberately
inciting and heating up the polity.
“The management of the Company has created the habit of using the channel to fight its personal battles contrary to the statutory requirements of the law.
“Recently, NBC monitoring reports on
AIT and Raypower indicate the use of divisive comments accredited to the segment of “Kakaaki”, tagged, “Kakaaki Social”, “Where inciting comments like, “Nigeria is cursed, “we declare independent state of Niger Delta”, “Nigeria irritates me”, “this country is gradually Islamising” and other similar slogans are used without editorial control in breach of the broadcast Code.
“Consequently, after several meetings with management of Daar Communications P.l.c and many letters of warning.
“The NBC, today June 6, 2019 took a decision to suspend the licence of Daar Communications Plc for failure to abide by the commission’s directives, the provisions of the NBC Act Cap N11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
“This decision is based on the provisions of Section 10 of the Third Schedule of the NBC Act Cap N11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which states that where in the opinion of the commission the station has been used in a manner detrimental to national interest.
“NBC Act also states that where there is willful or repeated failure to operate substantially as set forth in the licence.
“Where there is willful or repeated violation or willful or repeated failure to observe any provision of this Act or any rule or regulation of the Commission authorised by this Act or by a treaty ratified by the Federal Republic of
Nigeria
“Where there is violation of or failure to observe any cease and desist order issued by the Commission and where a provision of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code has been seriously breached. And the shutdown order is until further notice.”
