IPC, NUJ, Others Seek Urgent Review of Undemocratic, Anti Press NBC Code

Peter Uzoho and Oluchi Chibuzor

The International Press Center (IPC), Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and civil society organisations (CSOs) have called for urgent review of the 6th Amendment in the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)’s Code, describing it as “undemocratic” and “anti-press”.

The media stakeholders said the revisitation of that code was necessary and that the NBC needs to consult all the stakeholders to get their contributions for the production of a code that would serve the best interest of the Nigerian broadcasting profession, protect and encourage investments, and guarantee the rights of journalists.

They spoke yesterday in Lagos at the official presentation of a report titled, ‘Questions Marks on the 6th NBC Code Amendments’, which contains media stakeholders’ analyses of the said code, resentments, and recommendations.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director, IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, said it had become imperative to stop arbitrariness and excesses of the NBC.

According to him, there are many other objectionable provisions in the revised code that may discourage further investment in the Nigerian broadcast sector, while compelling those who have already done so to have a rethink.

Arogundade noted that under a democratic set up, the provision of section 5.6.1 was warning against the use of user generated content that may ‘embarrass individuals, organizations, and the government’.

He said, “Won’t this limit citizens’ input into media content and the diversity that comes with such information dissemination?

“Indeed, by including government among those that should not be embarrassed, the provision can intimidate the media while encouraging public officials to dodge the responsibility of accountability since they can always resort to the claim of being embarrassed.

“That is why it has equally been argued that the provision can undermine the obligation imposed on the media by section 22 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution to monitor governance and good government accountable to the people.”

Condemning the 6th NBC Code Amendments, Council member, World Journalism Education Congress (WJEC) and lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye, said there cannot be any free democracy without sustainable free press.

According to Akinfeleye, “The judiciary and the press is the last hope of the citizens and if they fail, Nigeria is a failed state. We will not allow the NBC to force us to comply with the things that are undemocratic, anti-democratic.

“The way the NBC use the media to operate is the same way the media use the NBC to get quality assurance, but it appears to me the NBC is over regulating the industry.

“We therefore call on the NBC to please arrange for urgent review of the 6th revised edition of the Amendments code so that it will be media friendly and it is working towards democracy; anything short of this is a betrayal of their establishment”.

He maintained that there was need for synergy between the press and NBC, noting that it appears to him that the NBC was trying to over-regulate to the point that they were “no longer regulators but traders.”

He advised that governments should factor synergy with the press into their development agenda to understand the power of the fourth estate of the realm.

He further called on the NBC and the Minister of Information to recognise the function of the press in democratic settings, adding that NBC should “unchain themselves from this over-regulation otherwise they become traders.

“They do not understand that the media is the engine room of democracy and that it is clear in the Nigerian constitution to monitor the activities of the government at all times,” he added.

Also kicking against the amended code, the Chairman of Lagos State Chapter of NUJ, Mr. Adeleye Ajayi, said the body has the prerogative to ensure that the media was not silenced by the code.

He identified some of the gaps in the code to include, “the power of the code to give the minister power to give directives to the NBC.

“The finances of the commission is not thoroughly spelt out. It allows the commission to submit annual report to the minister which should go to separate commission and approve licence without the federal government knowledge,”