NBC suspension of Channels TV for interviewing IPOB Leader is illegal and unjustifiable. Our court in the case of NOSDRA v. EXXONMOBIL held that regulatory agencies are not empowered to arbitrarily impose sanction without recourse to the court. The attack on free press must stop, Mr Festus Ogwu, a lawyer and human rights activist declares.
OBSERVERS TIMES recall that, the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC has suspended Channels Television with a fine N5 million for breaching the broadcast code.
In a letter to the Managing Director of Channels Television signed by the Acting Director-General of the Commission, NBC, Armstrong Idachaba, the Commission referred to Channels 7pm live broadcast programme of Sunday, April 25, 2021.
Reacting to this development, the activist said, the NBC, being a regulatory body, is not empowered by law to act as the prosecutor and the judge; all at the same time – this violates the principle of fair hearing enshrined under S 36 of the Constitution. Free press cannot thrive if these undemocratic fines are allows to stand.
Part of the tweet read “In this 2020 piece, I did a legal analysis where I explained the position of the law in respect of NBC power to impose sanction
Click here: http://saharareporters.com/2020/10/28/analysis-nbc-fine-arise-ait-and-channels-tv-illegal-festus-ogun
Though another tweeter user by name Omar replied the activist from another point of law, in his tweet Omar said “Act, 1992 (as amended), empowers the Commission to establish and disseminate a national broadcasting code and set standards with regard to the contents and quality of materials for broadcast. They broke the code, and MUST pay the price. NPA v. INTELS, NPA v. CAPT. OSUNBOR.
