NBC Fines Arise, TVC N2 Million Each Over Tinubu, Keyamo, PDP Comments

Collins Nnabuife, Abuja

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has fined Continental Broadcasting Services Limited, owner of Television Continental (TVC) and Arise Global Media Limited, owner of Arise Television, each for breaking broadcasting codes.

This is stated in separate letters written by NBC Director General Balarabe Shehu llelah to the two companies and obtained by the Nigerian Tribune.

In a letter to Continental Broadcasting Services Limited, Ilelah said that for a period of time, NBC was monitoring the consistent violation of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code during the countdown to the 2023 general election.

He said the worrying trend has become a branding on your channel that has national coverage.

He said: “On 6/1/23 at 12:29 PM, the Joint Media Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council made the following comments while briefing the media.

“FESTUS KEYAMO: “…Obasanjo and Atiku run a criminal enterprise, an empire of fraud in Abuja. At the same time that Ahmed Bola Asiwaju was working hard, beautifully and meticulously to rebuild Lagos, there were 2 criminals stealing money in Abuja at that time…they both stole from the SPV account at the time.”

“Speaking about the whistleblower, Micheal Achimugu, he said, “We suspect that some of Atiku Abubakar’s goons are planning to take out him and his relatives. In fact, my big brother FFK hinted to me about something like this yesterday…”

“On 01/24/23 at 3:39 PM, during the APC Presidential Rally in Abia State.

“The APC presidential candidate BOLA AHMED TINUBU, after telling the public to vote for APC under the symbol of broom, he made the following comment: “…Do you know what you are doing with the rest of them? They are like lizards, cockroaches and mosquitoes. Just grab the broom and sweep ’em off”

“On 1/31/23 at 2:37 PM, at the All Progressives Congress (APC) meeting in Anambra State. The party’s presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu also made the following remarks; “… When you hear Atiku use the word Muslim and say, ‘Wallahi Talahi, do you know what is in his heart? “I do not lie”. Whenever you hear Atiku Wallahi say Talahi, just answer him: After lying, you are lying.

“… The man who left here, he calls himself Peter Obi. We read in the Bible that before the rooster crows 3 times, he will deny Jesus Christ. He denied, so how can he keep a promise to you if he can’t keep a promise to God?

“On 30/01/23 at 3:50 PM during the APC Presidential Rally in Akwa Ibom State, APC Presidential Candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the following unfair remark against PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel. So, “…Who saved him from Obasanjo who wanted to roast him like goat meat?”

“Speaking to Emmanuel Udom,” he said “… That boy we’re bringing

“Atiku here, we call himself governor, tell him enough is enough, he lives in my backyard in Lagos, if not because we are one, I will drive him home… the greatest palace he built, I’ll just lizard and dove and scorpion there, if not because you begged me”.

NBC said monitoring also indicates that TVC News is not giving the same coverage to other political parties in all of their news.

“On October 10, 2022, your station started its news with 17 minutes of APC news and 1 minute of PDP story with a video clip that did not play.

The NBC DG therefore said, “Consequently, in accordance with the above-mentioned sections of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, TVC News is hereby sanctioned and shall pay a fine of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Naira only).

“Note that the fine will be paid within 2 weeks of receipt of this letter, otherwise the penalty will be graded”.

In a letter to Arise Global Media Limited, NBC said: “For the avoidance of doubt, some such unprofessional broadcasts are listed below for your review.

“On January 24, 2023, between 1:00 PM – 2:27 PM, Arise TV aired the presidential campaign Rally of PDP that took place in Delta State, full of unfair remarks and mockery of the APC presidential candidate by DINO Melaye. Mr. Melaye sang a song “…hand dey shake, lay dey shake, baba wey no well, e dey shout emilokan”.

“Arise TV not only aired the program, but repeated Dino Melaye’s unsavory clip mocking the APC presidential candidate in another program anchored by Ojy Okpe What’s Trending. The presenter and her colleagues had a good laugh at such an unfair treatment of another.

“On January 26, 2023, at 9:40 AM, during the Morning Show program, a guest, Na’jaatu Muhammed, described APC presidential candidate Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as mentally disturbed with no warning from the anchor. The dude had a field day with swear words against the APC presidential candidate. She called him senile.

“On 1/31/2023 at 3:30 PM, during the broadcast of the PDP Presidential Rally in Sokoto State, Dino Melaye referred to APC Vice Presidential candidate Kashim Shettima as GCOB, which means Grand Commander of Bandits.

“During the same campaign, PDP presidential leader Dino Malaye said, ‘we should be happy that our candidate’s hands aren’t shaking, his legs aren’t shaking, and he doesn’t have a bubble in his head,'” he continued, saying: “when APC comes for campaign, sing a song after they say: APC are bed-wetters…” then he said again: “… his name is not Bola, his name is bola” (the difference is in the pronunciation, later meaning rubbish bin).

Hajiya Naja’atu said in the same broadcast: “We are not going to vote for hypocrites, the one who lied that he is a Muslim, but he does not know how to recite the suratul fatiha. We are not going to vote for an illiterate who knows nothing, if people insist on voting for him then they should also get ready to let him lead them in prayers…”

He therefore said, “Consequently, in accordance with the above-mentioned sections of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, Arise TV is hereby sanctioned and will pay a fine of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Naira only).

“Note that the fine will be paid within 2 weeks of receiving this letter, otherwise the sanction will be graded.