- Six members of staff of Jodaj Global Communications Limited, owners of a Jos-based radio station, Jay 101.9 FM, have been invited for questioning by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over the presentation of some programmes.
Jos is the capital of Plateau State, in North Central Nigeria.
The invitation, scheduled for Tuesday is said to have been arranged to deal with some issues bordering on current affairs as the 2023 general elections draw closer.
This was contained in a letter addressed to the chief executive officer of the media house, obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday.
According to the letter signed by Nari Rikoto on behalf of the NBC Zonal Coordinator, the workers called for questioning are Pedro Omobolaji, Ponsak Fanap, Humphry, Osama Akpononu, Opeyemi and Zoe Machunga.
The letter read, “The Management of the National Broadcasting Commission, Jos Zone wishes to invite the following Staff of your station to a meeting.
1. Mr Pedro Omobolaji, Head of Station
2. Mr Ponsak Fanap
3. Mr Humphry
4. Mr Osama Akpononu
5. Mr Opeyemi
6. Miss Zoe Machunga
“The meeting is scheduled as follows:
“Date: 2nd November, 2021
“Time: 2:00 pm Prompt
“NBC Zonal Office, 7 Yakubu Gowon Way, Jos, Plateau State.
“The meeting is to address some issues pertaining (to) presentation of programmes as well as other Current Affairs as we are approaching the 2023 General Elections.
“The Zonal Director will be glad to have you at the meeting.”
NBC has been overreaching recently, threatening stations over programmes that seem to expose the failures of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
For instance, in May, NBC directed Channels TV and Inspiration FM Lagos to pay a fine N5 million each for infractions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
Armstrong Idachaba, the acting director-general of the commission, announced this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Idachaba explained that the NBC on Monday, April 26, served Channels TV a letter indicating the station’s culpability and liability for infractions of the Code in respect to its broadcast of “Politics Today” of Sunday, April 25th.
He added that the station violated Sections 3.11.1(b) and 5.4.3 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
Similarly, Idachaba said that on May 2, in its World Report, Inspiration FM Lagos aired a broadcast of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) making secessionist claims in breach of 3.11.1(b) and 5.4.3 of the Code.
He said Channels TV and Inspirational FM broadcast secessionist, divisive, violent and inflammatory comments.
