2019 election: NBC sanctions NTA, AIT, Channels TV, TVC for allowing hate speeches by politicians

Four major television stations in the country have been sanctioned by the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC for airing hate speech.  

The television stations are: Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, African Independent Television, AIT, Channels TV and Television Continental, TVC. They were sanctioned for allowing hate speeches by politicians from both the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the main opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to be aired on their networks.  

According to the Director General of NBC, Malam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, he said letters to the affected organisations notifying them about the sanction were awaiting delivery in his office.  

He said the four stations failed to shut out chieftains of both parties who wilfully engaged in hate speeches during their political campaigns.  

He said, ‘’Broadcasters have huge responsibility of protecting and guiding our democracy; and we have a very huge responsibility of ensuring that we don’t promote violence or anything that can lead to it.

We have discovered that despite our repeated warnings some broadcast stations still allow politicians to let out hate speeches which are capable of throwing this country into crisis. We have prepared sanctions and the letters to this effect will be delivered to them soonest. These broadcast stations include NTA, AIT, Channels, TVC and some other radio stations.’’  

Kawu said media houses must not allow themselves to be used by politicians.