The National Association of Veteran Media Practitioners of Nigeria has condemned in strong terms, what it described as the unprofessional closure of Ozisa FM Radio Station, owned by the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC,
President of the Association, Mr. Ben Osuagwu, in a statement in Owerri, described the closure of the Ozisa Radio station as highly provocative and unwarranted, noting that the manner the NBC hurriedly shut down the station, portends grave danger to the future of the broadcast industry in Nigeria.
Osuagwu said that the NBC acted hurriedly without proper investigation, due process and above all primitively, without considering guidelines and set standards.
“Following the news of the 14 youths in Awomama who went for one of their brother’s traditional wedding alleged to have been murdered by the Ebubeagu Security outfit set up by the Imo State Government, the onus lies on the NBC to conduct thorough independent investigation with other security outfits to find out the veracity in the report, then come up with the result of their investigation and if the report from the radio station is found to be false, it can wield the sledge hammer on the radio station. But if not, the NBC should allow the radio station to continue with its duty of informing, educating, entertaining, socializing, mobilizing and proper re-canalizing the peoples attitude” part of the statement read
The Association President noted that “since relations of the 14 youths who were massacred accused the Ebubeagu security outfit of carrying out the dastardly act, the NBC should have interviewed them and find out the truth. Security outfits are meant to protect lives and property of citizens and not to decimate them”
He said that the era of unbridled clamping down on media houses has gone and smacks of unnecessary wielding of the big stick .
“Whose interest the NBC is protecting, to hide the truth, and expose falsehood. Even if it was the DSS that murdered innocent civilians in cold blood and the media exposed it, is it justifiable or unjustifiable? . To all right thinking citizens, media exposure of wicked, violent, and happenings in the society is highly justifiable. It is when such happens that the media will be said to have lived up to its responsibilities” part of the statement stated.
He advised the NBC to focus on international modalities and adhere strictly to international modern norms on broadcasting and eschew crude mundane method they apply in Nigeria.
He called for the intervention of the National Assembly to checkmate the mundane activities of the NBC, aimed at gagging the media in the country, noting that the NBC has in recent times tried to take back the media in Nigeria to herodic-pharoahic era
“The National Assembly should compel the NBC to reopen Ozisa Radio station without further delay”, Osuagwu concluded.
