Democracy & Governance
NBC, Daar Communication: We Need To Redefine Our Polity Else We’re All Sliding Down To An Era Of Cowed Silence -By Muhammed Yahaya Abubakar
The philosophy behind establishing media outlets and granting them licences to operate in Nigeria is different from that is practiced in most part of the world today. The struggle for independence and self-rule gave birth to vibrant media organisations like the African Pilot, Tribune, and Fitila. There is a general misconception therefore that after the struggle for independence, the Nigerian media have to play the role of a patriot by reporting only on issues that will promote peace and development. They shouldn’t attempt to do anything that will ridicule or embarrass the state. If the media had held on to that notion, Nigeria wouldn’t have gotten the democracy that gave Buhari a chance to be our President today. The vibrancy of the media is in its playing strategic roles at different phases of our political development. From independence fighter, to liberator from military dictatorship to now the most difficult one of checking the excesses of the three arms. That’s where it derives its appellation as the Fourth Estate of the Realm. It provides checks on the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary. No leader likes the media but it’s a necessary evil because without it democracy will turn into dictatorship. Every leader or person will at one time or another be a victim of media searchlight but at the same time may one day fall back on the media to fight the cause of injustice.
The NBC talked of Kakaaki Social, a citizen’s reporting platform where views of Nigerians on the social media were aggregated to react to trending issues. Even before meeting the presenter, the
The media profession has repeatedly in many climes and different eras showed lack of the ability to respect and control itself. It is not everything that needs to end in a court of law but ethics and morals demand that a profession manages its members well. The media has failed on this. Also, as a societal leader and politician responsible for shaping young minds and directing the unity of the country, if a station chooses to perpetually post biased and untrue messages likely to cause division and rife then it is my responsibility to call them to order because I owe it to the people to curtail such aggression and divisiveness.
We must remember, while freedom of speech is the bedrock of democracy and people’s freedom in general; the same freedom of speech fuelled the persistence of racism and slave trade, apartheid, Nazi war and jewish killings, the many genocides we have witnessed, the election of terrible people like Hitler. Uncontrolled freedom of speech is an exploitation by the media which is unfair. No other true profession leaves its practitioners practising in manners that is hurtful and problematic to the public, the society and the people.
Until the media wakes up to truly manage itself like a profession, self-regulate its members for ethics and legal matters, then leaders in positions of power will have no choice but to step in; whether we like it or not. In totality, the media ought to have hold itself accountable in some ways and manner as well, and that is not happening yet.
Just about 2 weeks prior to the May 29 inauguration, the former Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed was on AIT where he articulated the views of government and I don’t remember anytime AIT had ran a single sided narrative without getting opposing views. I believe therefore that the closure of AIT and Ray Power is not in the best interest of democracy. If the license fees is the key issue, Daar Communications should pay and reopen its services. But linking the closure to broadcasting codes calls for a review of those codes to respect the freedom of expression as enshrined in the Constitution. I’ve often heard several fm stations around the country cautioning their listeners during phone in programs to desist from making inflammatory or derogatory comments on the government. At times the commentators are cut off from the line. The codes are putting media houses under pressure to gag their listeners who want to express themselves. Democracy sets no limits to human freedom as long as it such freedom does not trample on the rights of other citizens. What then is journalism and democracy if the voice of the people cannot be heard.
Let’s not forget that barely a week ago development control went into their premises and carried out a demolition excercise on account of illegal structure. Believe what you want and support tyranny until the tyrant become a full blown totalitarian and dictator using agencies of government. This may have result of a person problem between Ramond and the FG as it had happen in Bauchi state between the same RayPower radio and the Muhammad Abubakar administration. After AIT it will be Silverbird. This is a direct message of infringement of right as a citizen to information.
However, the both NBC and DARR Communication may be right and wrong. The NBC is right in demanding that Daar Commn respects the broadcast code it signed off to observe, and in demanding that Daar pays its license fees for using Nigeria’s platform to transmit. But it’s wrong in going down the extreme to close the two stations owned by Daar. There are better ways to address all the issues. Daar Communications for its part has the right to press freedom, to let its listeners air their views on the business of governance, and inform the public about activities of government. But they are also wrong in crossing the lines of press freedom. I suggest that Nigerian media and civil societies should collectively call for a review of the NBC Act 2004 because some of its provisions are unfit for a democratic environment. AIT may have really earned itself a bad reputation of being pro-PDP but I believe it’s not a crime that should earn the outlet a death sentence.
I hold a strong view that bodies like NBC should be a media profession self-regulating body, not government. Until that happens, you will leave room for any government official to shut down any platform under the guise of ‘national interest’ and ‘peace and stability’.
Muhammad Yahaya Abubakar is a public affairs analyst.
