The Federal Government has declared that that only the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has the legal authority to suspend or revoke the licence of any broadcast station in Nigeria.
Mr Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, who stated the position of the Federal Government while reacting to the directive by the Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State for the immediate shutdown of Badeggi FM station, a privately owned radio station based in Minna, said that no state government can arbitrarily closed a radio station.
Governor Bago had during an expanded All Progressives Congress caucus meeting at the Government House, Minna, ordered the shutdown of Badeggi FM station.
The Governor allegedly directed the Commissioner of Police for Niger State command and the Commissioner for Homeland Security, Brigadier General Bello Abdullahi Mohammed (retd), to close down the station and also directed that the operating licence of the station be seized and the owner be profiled.
However, the Minister of Information called for calm among stakeholders in the media space, stressing that only the NBC has the authority to act on licence suspensions.
A statement by Rabiu Ibrahim, Special Assistant on Media to the information minister, said the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation has taken due cognisance of concerns raised by various stakeholders in the media industry regarding the recent directive by Governor Bago to suspend the operations of Badegi FM, a radio station in Minna.
The statement stated; “According to reports, the Governor of Niger State, His Excellency Mohammed Umaru Bago, issued the directive during an expanded Niger State APC Caucus Meeting in Minna on August 1, which the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation attended. “The Governor reportedly cited allegations of unethical broadcasting and incitement against the government. While acknowledging the concerns raised, the Ministry notes that the suspension of broadcasting licenses falls within the purview of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), as stipulated by law.
“In light of this, the Ministry welcomes the decision of the Niger State Government to formally report the perceived ‘unethical behaviour’ of Badeggi FM to the NBC for resolution,” it said.
The Minister therefore appealed to all parties to remain calm, assuring that the NBC has the necessary mechanisms to resolve the issue in a fair and impartial manner.
