Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Balarabe Shehu Ilelah has said that the agency will keep summoning anyone who violates the broadcast code.
Ilelah, who said this when members of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) visited the commission’s office in Abuja, stated that “journalism is a profession that has ethics” which everyone must abide by.
Some broadcasters at Channels Television were summoned by the commission last week over an interview granted to Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue state.
Read Also: NBC Queries Channels TV Over Recent Interview With Benue Gov, Samuel Ortom
While appearing as a guest on Sunrise Daily, the governor had accused President Muhammadu Buhari of trying to “fulanise” Nigeria.
In reaction, NBC said Channels TV violated six of its rules during the broadcast of the interview, and that the anchors did not “thoroughly interrogate” the governor.
Read Also: Just In: Channels TV Presenters Reportedly Summoned By NBC
He also said that the NBC was not created to suppress press freedom, but to guide the press, stressing;
As leaders of your various reputable and responsible organisation, I want you to tell your members that nobody is above the law. All of us must live within the coverage of the law and we must be held accountable. Journalism is a profession that has ethics, we are supposed to operate within the ethics of the profession.
Ilelah stated;
You came to the commission based on some reports from the social media. As a journalist, I know that news coming from social media are not verified and normally when you get information from anywhere, you need to verify the source of the news. But when the news had no source and then you went again and keep on spreading the news, that is not journalism.
He added;
We are going to keep on fighting people that are spreading fake news, the commission will not be scared and will keep on summoning anyone who goes contrary to NBC code.
NBC is not here to suppress press freedom, but to guide the press. Our duty is to make sure that everybody is given a fair playing ground so that you can say whatever you want to say that is according to the law.
