The National Broadcasting Commission has queried Channels
Television over the “inciting, divisive and unfair comments” made by Benue
State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on the TV’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ breakfast programme
on Tuesday.
NBC made this known in a letter to the television station
titled, ‘Notice of Infraction’.
The regulator’s letter was dated August 24, 2021 and signed
by its Director-General, Balarabe Ilelah.
NBC said, “The programme which had as guest the Executive
Governor of Benue State, Governor Samuel Ortom, was observed to contain
inciting, divisive and unfair comments which were not thoroughly interrogated
by the anchors.”
It said the actions negated Sections 1.10.4, 3.1.1,
3.3.1(b), 3.3.1(e), 3.11.1(a), and 3.12.2 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
“Consequently, Channels Television is required to explain
why appropriate sanctions should not be applied for these infractions of the
Nigeria Broadcasting Code. Your response should reach the Commission within 24
hours of the receipt of this letter.”
Ortom, who was a guest on the TV programme on Tuesday
morning, had said, “Mr President is pushing me to think that what they say
about him, that he has a hidden agenda in this country is true because it is
very clear that he wants to fulanise but he is not the first Fulani president.
“Shagari was a Fulani President, Yar’ Adua was a Fulani
President and they were the best in the history. But President Buhari is the
worst President when it comes to issues of security and keeping his promises.
“Go back to 2015, what did he say, human rights issues, he
talked about press freedom, about the economy, corruption, security, tell me
one that Mr President has achieved.
“He has achieved some level of development in other sectors
but these prominent things that are concerns to Nigerians and we are all
worried about.. tell me when Mr President has come out to address them. Is it
corruption, we are worse in the history of this country”.
The outspoken fiery governor had also flayed the President,
Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s stance on open grazing. Buhari had approved
recommendations of a committee to review 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in
the country, “to determine the levels of encroachment.”
Reacting, Ortom had said, “If Mr President respects the law,
the Land Use Act gives governors the power to preside over land administration
on behalf of the people that they govern.
“So it is amazing and I am surprised to hear this coming
from Mr President as if he doesn’t have an Attorney General, or Lawyers around
him to advise him. I think Mr President was misquoted or he did it out of
error. He should come out to apologise to Nigerians.”
The Presidency subsequently came hard on the governor on
Wednesday and accused him of using sectarian language similar to that of the
Rwandan Genocide of 1994, while reacting to the security challenges in his
state.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and
Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement had said, “In an attempt to boost his
sinking political fortunes, Ortom takes the cheapest and lowest route possible
by playing on ethnic themes – and in doing so knowingly causes deaths of
innocent Nigerians by inciting farmers against herders, and Christians against
Muslims.”
Garba had added that the “good, and fair-minded people of
Benue State deserve more than this, and we look forward to the next election
when they have an opportunity to restore its greatness.”
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