Admin l Saturday, September 09, 2017
LAGOS, Nigeria – Pornography will soon become part and parcel of the Nigerian culture unless something is done to urgently arrest the fast detereorating trend.
This is because the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC seems to have either indulge itself in an overdose of sleep or has completely abdicated its responsibility as enshrined in Decree 38 of 1992, which sets up the commission.
The silence of the supervisory Ministry of Information and Culture led by the very articulate Alhaji Lai Mohammed can only be perceived as an endorsement of the development.
For this very reason, the cable television stations are now on rampage serving Nigerians young and old with a pot pourri of pure porn under the guise of playing music. On radio, the story is not different. Sex is now the most desirable subject discussed on air even on children belt, but for few who have it as a subject only during the adult belt.
For the avoidance of doubt, the purpose of broadcasting among others is to promote generally accepted social values and norms, especially civic and social responsibilities; and to encourage respect for the dignity of man.
The NBC code described obscenity as “a graphic presentation of lewd sexual activity, verbal or physical violence or blood letting portrayed in a socially offensive manner, especially if it is not indispensible in the communication of an idea. It describes pornography as “a broadcast material calculated to cause sexual excitement”.
In section 2.3.5 of the NBC code with the subject, good taste and decency, the code stipulates: ” obscene, pornographic or vulgar language, expression, presentation and representation are forbidden. The sanctity of marriage and family life shall be promoted and strictly upheld.”
In section 2.3.7 the code explained, “womanhood shall be presented with respect and dignity”. Under crime, law and order in section 2.3.8, the code stated implicitly, “Language or scene likely to encourage or incite to crime or to lead to disorder is forbidden”.
In section 3.3.3, the NBC code stated clearly that X-rated programmes shall not be broadcast, most especially when children are likely to be watching or listening . Programme belts shall be strictly respected”.
But all these codes have been observed in the breach. We were scandalised one Sunday morning in July when our correspondent tuned in to Rainbow 94.1 between the hours of 8am and 9 am, and discovered that the subject of the discussion is sex, how to have and enjoy it during children belt. The content was lewd and overtly elicited sexual desires in the listener.
We are of the view that such content ought to be limited to adult belt from 10pm upward, the way you have it on Rhythm 93.7, Metro and Inspiration Fm, all in Lagos.
On cable television, lewd contents comes into play in musical programmes, with morally unedifying lyrics compounded with ladies dressed half naked dancing with only pant and top, bending down at will, shaking the butt and raising one leg up not only in a sexually suggestive manner that degrades womanhood but totally antithetical to the Nigerian culture.
Such scenes are featured daily on the children belt between the morning and noon broadcast on cable stations like Tiwantiwa(Freshly Pressed, Orin Orisirisi), R2TV among others and the consequence is now obvious in kids who can no longer engage in decent dance but to twerk.Too bad.
In a study, Impact of video films on children and adolescent in Lagos conducted for the National, Film and Video Censors Board, Professor Idowu Shobowale pointed out that ” a harmful film, carefully packaged, may be watched by innocent children who may vicariously imbibe the values espoused in the film”, he said, noting that social psychology has also sufficiently demonstrated that a lot of learning takes place through imitation, particularly of role models, whose behaviours are wittingly or unwittingly emulated.
We call on the custodian of Nigerian Culture, the Hon. Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to call the NBC to order and make it alive to its responsibilities to Nigerians. Starconnectmedia/editorial
