March 6, 2015 – The APC Presidential Campaign Organization (APCPCO) has accused the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) of promoting violence and hate.
The organisation believes that NBC is promoting violence and hate by not sanctioning erring radio and TV stations, industry players and groups who allegedly breach extant laws and regulations governing activities of the agencies.
It therefore challenges the NBC to make good its threat to wield the big stick against erring broadcast stations by applying its code to all industry players across board without fear or favor.
The APCPCO made this call following assurances by the Director General of NBC to wield the big stick on erring broadcast stations that violate the code particularly when it comes to airing political programs under this political dispensation.
According to Directorate of Media and Publicity of the APCPCO, Malam Garba Shehu the agencies must match words with action.
“The NBC has soon forgotten the role it played through its inaction against some TV Stations when they aired a dirty and false documentary on General Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the APC.
“The specific code that these TV stations have contravened is Section 3.1.2 of the NBC Code which states that “materials/statements likely to incite or encourage the commission of a crime or lead to public disorder shall not be broadcast.
” This is a breach, which attracts severe penalty of suspension of license or outright withdrawal of the license of that station, but to the surprise of many industry observers and Nigerians, to date nothing has been done to the errant Stations,” the APCPCO said.
The organisation said the inability of NBC to sanctions stations call to question the neutrality of many government regulatory bodies especially in an election time like this where the incumbent President is on the ballot.
The APC Campaign lamented that the situation is also the same with the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), the regulatory body saddled with the responsibility of screening print adverts for publication and issuing certificate of clearance.
The APC Campaign decried a situation where the PDP and its numerous agents acting under a blanket cover of immunity or impunity by-pass these steps and clearances to place their many abhorrent and hateful adverts in disregard of laid down laws and regulations.
