Members of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and Sterling Law Centre (SLC) registers have joined other Nigerians to express dissatisfaction with the arbitrary shutdown of Badeggi FM by Niger State government.
Recall the Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, had recently ordered suspension of Badeggi FM’s activities, citing instances of unethical broadcasting and incitement against the government.
Already, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and the Nigerian Guild of Editors have filed a lawsuit against Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, and the National Broadcasting Commission over what they described as “the ongoing intimidation” of Badeggi FM Radio, Minna, and the threat to shut down the station.
In a statement, BON Executive Secretary, Oluyemisi Bambgose, commended Minister of information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi, for counselling the governor to channel his observations and complaints to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the legal body empowered by law to discipline, after due process, any erring broadcast media that is found to have violated broadcast regulations.
He stated that it is not within the mandate of the state governor to shut down any licenced broadcast media operating in their domain under whatever disguise.
To Bamgbose, “the recent order by the Governor of Niger State to shut down Badegi FM station operating in Minna,Niger State, on allegations of being hostile to the state government was ill advised and a violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic.
He reminded government at all levels that suppressing the media could constitute serious dangers to democratic governance.
Executive Director of CEMESO, Akin Akingbulu, said, “Governor Bago’s action must be given the proper description: a brazen abuse of executive power and assault on the rule of law by a political office holder who pledged to uphold the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
To him, the governor must understand that his action against Badeggi FM is an addition to the growing list of attacks on the press in Niger State under his administration, and questions his credentials as a believer in and respecter of independent and free functioning of institutions in a democracy.
Akingbulu also wondered why the Governor refused to refer his concerns to the NBC, which has established presence all over the country, including Niger State.
He said that CEMESO joined other independent voices in demanding: immediate reversal of the order for shutdown as well as withdrawal of licence revocation and building demolition threats by Governor Bago; a commitment to Respect for freedom of the press and due process: future grievances of political office holders, including Governor Bago, must be channelled to the NBC, as required by law; a publicly visible response by the NBC, articulating its intervention in this matter, in furtherance of its obligation under the NBC Act: ” guaranteeing and ensuring the liberty and protection of the Broadcasting industry.”
Describing the government’s action as undemocratic, illegal and unjustifiable, MRA’s Programme Officer, John Gbadamosi, noted “in any event, the governor lacks any constitutional or statutory authority to order the closure of any broadcast station in Nigeria or the revocation of the broadcasting license of any broadcast media organization.”
Citing the provisions of Paragraph 9 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, which states that “A public officer shall not do or direct to be done, in abuse of his office, any arbitrary act prejudicial to the rights of any other person knowing that such act is unlawful or contrary to any government policy.
The group noted that there is no doubt that the Governor’s actions amount to a violation of the Code as he has no authority to order the shutting down of the station or the revocation of its license.
According to MRA, Governor Bago knows or ought to know that he has no power to shut down any radio station or to direct the revocation of its license, as the regulation of broadcasting in Nigeria is not under his control or authority.
Gbadamosi urged the NBC to assert its independence in the matter by acting decisively against any attempt to illegally usurp its authority while also upholding the independence of broadcast media under its regulatory purview.
He called on the Governor to immediately and unconditionally reopen Baddegi FM and issue a public apology to the proprietors, management, staff, and listeners of the station for the arbitrary and unlawful violation of their rights.
SLC, in a statement by the Executive Director, Ikenna Ezekwem, noted the action constitutes reckless abuse of executive power calculated to muzzle dissent and terrorise independent media.
He listed their demands as, immediate, unconditional reopening of Badeggi FM 90.1 and restitution of its licence; public apology from Governor Bago to the station’s proprietors, staff, and listeners; independent inquiry—preferably judicial—into the circumstances leading to this closure, with disciplinary consequences for any official who facilitated the illegal act; firm intervention by the NBC, the Inspector-General of Police, and the National Human Rights Commission to prevent further harassment of Badeggi FM and other media houses in Niger State.
