By; USMAN NASIDI, Kaduna.
Ahead of the forthcoming 2023 general elections, the Inter-faith Mediation Centre (IMC) in collaboration with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has organized a one-day Media Conference to caution organizations on the use of broadcasting codes for effective broadcast understanding.
During the event held at Arewa House Kaduna, with the theme, “Understanding Broadcasting Code For Effective Broadcast Towards 2023 General Elections,” NBC charged broadcast organizations in the country to adhere to journalistic values and code of practice guiding the profession towards ensuring peaceful elections come next month.
Kaduna Zonal Director of NBC, Malam Jamilu Yahaya Jega, explained that the commission is saddled with the responsibility of fostering peace, unity and development by regulating how information is acquired, managed and disseminated in line with the code of practice, hence the need to enlighten broadcast practitioners to enable them discharge their mandate effectively especially during the forthcoming elections.
The Zonal Director pointed out the need for broadcast practitioners to desist from hate speech, fake news and divisive remarks while using political materials for news and current affairs program to avoid being sanctioned.
According to Jega, the commission has a sanction procedure that includes fines ranging from two hundred thousand Naira (200.000) to five million (5,000.000) for any broadcast station that breaks the rules, depending on the gravity of the offence committed.
“As a broadcaster, you need to tell them what is expected of them, content has to go in line with what is in the code of practice and anything outside that is not broadcasting,
“Campaign period is divided into three, pre-campaign, campaign and after campaign period and each of the periods has what is being expected from it. During campaign, it is crucial to educate and enlighten the people on what to do, and it has to be in line with the provision of the code of practice”, Mal. Jega explained.
In their opening remarks, Co-Executive Directors of IMC, Reverend James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa, posited that the media conference became imperative following the need to build the capacity of broadcast practitioners for them to uphold the guiding principles of their profession with a view to tackling media sensationalism especially at this fragile moment of the nation’s history.
The Co-directors pledged the commitment of the center to collaborate with the Kaduna State Peace Commission, different religious bodies and the media to promote religious tolerance and ensure a violent free election in the state and the country at large.
“Looking at the challenges today where we have seen some politicians, religious leaders, and even media organizations promoting fake news and fantasies, and that is why we feel the NBC and other media stations should come together with the IMC as we are moving into this space that is so sensitive and fragile, can we be able to move into it without code of conduct, values, justice and fairness in the presentation of our news materials,
“And at the same time, no matter how good the news is, is it beneficial to all, or is it going to cause more peace or harm to the people.
“In the spirit of doing more harm, yes, is a news, we have someone who says or claims it, but what consequences does it have on the transitional process? Is it positive or negative? What we are saying is that, no matter how good the news is, if it is going to bring more negative consequences, then it is better to kill it, than make it a breaking news that will have broken consequences on our fragile nation”, they said.
In her presentation, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna Council, Asma’u Yawo Halilu, urged members of the union to strictly adhere to the National Broadcasting Commission’s (NBC) code of conduct in the coverage of the forthcoming general elections.
She added that NBC’s code has provided that: broadcasters must not deny airtime access to any group or political party, and ensure equity in airtime allocation and coverage of political parties’ activities particularly during prime times.
She however, advised the security agencies to carry out their duties diligently before, during and after the forthcoming elections in the interest of the state and the nation at large.
While assuring the people of Kaduna State of the union’s readiness in the coverage of the elections, she further explained that the union is doing it best to eradicate dangers of ethnic, political and religious motivated reportage and dissemination of information that can instigate violent conflict in the society.
Comrade Asma’u called on all political actors in Kaduna State to shun politics of bitterness, violence, thuggery and embrace issue-based campaigns throughout the electioneering period in the state.
