Hate Speech: FG orders NBC to sanction erring stations

The federal government has directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to sanction any radio or television station that broadcasts hate speech, as part of efforts to stem the growing tide in the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, directed in Abuja on Thursday at the 3rd Annual Lecture Series of the NBC, which also coincides with the 25th Anniversary of the Commission.

“As a matter of fact, the challenges facing the NBC have never become more daunting, considering the increasing propensity of some radio and television stations across the country to turn over their platforms to the purveyors of hate speech. It is the responsibility of the commission to put these broadcast stations in check before they set the country on fire.

“As the NBC celebrates what is a milestone, a quarter of a century in its existence, I urge the Commission to redouble its efforts in discharging its mandate with a strict adherence to the Broadcasting Code. Errant stations must be sanctioned accordingly to serve as a deterrent as the nation looks up to the NBC to restore sanity to the broadcast industry. The Commission cannot afford to do any less at this critical time”, he said.

Alhaji Mohammed cited the ignominious role played by a radio station in fueling the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, which led to the loss of over 800,000 lives in 100 days also charged the NBC not to allow the purveyors of hate speech to lead Nigeria to the path of
destruction.

“If you tune into many radio stations, for example, you will be shocked by the things being said, the careless incitement to violence and the level of insensitivity to the multi-religious, multi-ethnic nature of our country. Unfortunately, even some of the hosts of such radio program do little or nothing to stop such incitements. Oftentimes, they are willing collaborators of hate speech campaigners. This must not be allowed to continue because it is detrimental to the unity and well-being of our country”.

He said the purveyors of hate speech are also deliberately giving the impression that the Buhari Administration has not achieved anything since assuming office in May 2015, adding that no amount of hatred by the naysayers will obliterate the solid achievements of the Buhari Administration, under a most difficult situation.

“Despite operating with just 45% of the funds available to the immediate past Administration, due largely to the fall in oil prices in our mono-product economy and the failure to save for the rainy day, this government has achieved so much more in so short a time. To put things in perspective, a country that has consistently produced more
oil than Nigeria, despite having about one sixth of the Nigerian population, is today embroiled in the worst economic crisis in its history. There is shortage of food, medicine and everything, and there is hyper-inflation.

“With Nigeria being affected by the same downturn in oil prices, coupled with years of monumental mismanagement of the country’s economy and the mindless and maddening looting of its treasury by rapacious public officials, why is Nigeria not in similar crisis as
the country in question? My answer is simple: Because Nigeria has a President like Muhammadu Buhari,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

The Minister enumerated achievement of the Buhari administration saying, “the Administration has brought transparency to governance, with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) enabling the government to monitor its revenue and spending; the modified tax system improving tax collection; the agriculture sector producing food in excess of what obtained one year ago, and the government spending 1.3 trillion Naira on Capital projects in the 2016 budget, the highest in the country’s history.

“Does anyone remember the scandalous fuel subsidies that failed to deliver fuel to filling stations? What about the fertilizer subsidies that never guaranteed the availability of fertilizer to farmers? Today, fuel queues are gone with the phantom fuel subsidies. Also,
thanks to the resuscitation of 11 of the country’s moribund fertilizer blending plants, fertilizer is now available to farmers nationwide. In fact, 6 million bags of fertilizers have been delivered at 30% below the market price, 50,000 jobs created and the 50 billion Naira saved with the stopping of fertilizer subsidy, all because of the revival of those blending plants. Six more are expected to come on stream soon.

“The government is not done yet despite the paucity of funds; the Federal Government’s Social Investment Programs are being implemented. The N-Power Volunteers Corps created 200,000 jobs in the first batch and 300,000 more will follow shortly; the Homegrown School Feeding is spreading from state to state, providing nutritious food for school children and employing thousands of cooks; the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) is providing N5,000 monthly to one million vulnerable and poorest Nigerians; while the Micro-credit scheme will
provide over a million Nigerians with small loans at very low rates through the Bank of Industry”, he revealed.

Alhaji Mohammed said despite the cowardly bombing of soft targets, the Boko Haram insurgency is not in resurgence; and that the fight against corruption is unrelenting, with alleged looters forfeiting the proceeds of their ill-gotten wealth, the corrupt being unable to sleep easy while critical infrastructure like roads and railways are being delivered.

Daily Times had earlier reported that in its quest to check the prevailing hate speeches that is hitting the airwaves, NBC had announced that it would fine broadcast stations a sum of N500, 000 for any perceived hate speech expressed by callers during phone-in programs.

Daily Times also gathered that the new rule, which will take effect on October 1, 2017, was communicated to media houses on August 10 during a meeting held at the commission’s zonal office at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

The zonal director of NBC, Matthew Okoduwa, had expressed his worriedness at the meeting for the comments some Nigerians make during phone-in segments of live programs.

Okoduwa blamed presenters and show anchors for giving people the opportunity to air hateful statements on live shows, adding that he understood that many Nigerians are angry and frustrated about the state of the nation, but hate speech is not the way to express such frustration.

The zonal director of NBC warned that the country is very volatile, hence media houses need to control the kind of comments Nigerians are allowed to make on television and radio broadcasts.

He also limited newspaper reviews to once a day, and charged viewers and listeners to contribute such reviews on social media rather than on television or radio programs.

“Newspaper reviews can only be broadcast once a day in a station. Anything more than that would amount to a breach of the new rule,” he emphasized.

He directed that broadcast stations use screeners to censor calls before they go live on programs, adding that programs can only have five call-in shows per day.

The commission, he said also mandated that henceforth, the cost of phone calls must be borne by the station and not individuals calling in.

Commenting on the discussion of judicial cases, Okoduwa said media houses cannot hold a discussion about ongoing court cases, adding that filed suits can only be discussed at the early stage and at the final stage after judgment has been given.

However, some media houses have raised concerns over this new set of rules issued by the NBC, as one concern is that the new rules compromise free speech, as it could deny Nigerians the opportunity to voice their opinions on important political and social issues.

Others have canvassed that the new rules will impose new expenses on radio and television stations, as they will now have to bear the cost of phone calls and purchase screening machines.

“I believe that this will restrict the free speech of Nigerians.
Putting the cost of calls solely on the shoulder of stations will likely mean most stations will only have one or two toll-free lines, which reduces the ways in which Nigerians can voice their opinions.

The costs of toll-free lines and call screening machines may prove high for some stations, making them choose between giving Nigerians access to voicing their opinions and their expense sheet,” said a media practitioner who requested anonymity.

The new regulations, Daily Times learnt came less than a week after a hateful song inciting violence against Igbo was circulated in northern Nigeria.

Tom Okpe, Abuja & Tony Nwakaegho