By Rita Enemuru, Reporting
The International Press Centre (IPC) has warned the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to not throw thousands of Nigerians into the labour market over the revocation of licences of 52 television and radio stations in Nigeria.
Reacting to the revocation of the licences of the 52 Radio and Television Stations by the NBC, IPC described it as arbitrary.
Stonix News had earlier reported the revocation of the licences of African Independent Television (AIT), Silverbird Television (STV), and 50 other television and Radio stations on Friday, August 19, 2022.
IPC, in a statement signed by its Press Freedom Officer, Melody Lawal, opined that NBC “exercises its powers arbitrarily without a recourse to the public interest.”
It also warned that NBC to stop acting as a revenue-generating agency that is unconcerned about the business environment of broadcast stations.
IPC, therefore, called on NBC to exercise caution in enforcing its authority and to exhaust all available channels before taking decisions that may render thousands jobless and shrink the information dissemination space.
The statement read in full: “The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria decries the arbitrary approach of the NBC in revoking the licenses of alleged debtor broadcast stations.
“IPC holds that the sweeping revocation confirms its concern that NBC exercises its powers arbitrarily without recourse to the public interest.
“It also confirms our worry that NBC continuously constitutes itself to the accuser, the prosecutor, and the judge in its own case.
“In this particular instance NBC has not only ordered the revocation of licenses of many TV and Radio stations, but it has also gone further to usurp
the authority of the President and Commander-In-Chief and the National Assembly by directing security agents to move in and effect its order.
“IPC calls on NBC to exercise caution and ensure that it exhausts engagement channels before wielding a stick that may not only lead to thousands of job losses but also shrink the information dissemination space.
“NBC should stop acting as a revenue generating agency that is unconcerned about the business environment of broadcast stations.
“Nothing in its mandate says that it cannot contribute to the sustainability of broadcast stations who are having their own share of the economic crisis plaguing the Nation.
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