Anthony Iwuoma
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has fined Arise TV News N2 million for airing a fake press release on the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over his alleged drug trafficking indictment in the United States of America.
This followed a petition to the NBC by the APC Presidential Campaign Council, asking that Arise News and Channels TV should be sanctioned over their reports on Tinubu.
The campaign council had accused the two television stations of breaching broadcast codes by their actions.
It stated that the said indictment against Tinubu had since been cleared in a correspondence between the former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tafa Balogun, and the United States Government.
The petition read in part: “The case in question, which did not indict our candidate, has since been overtaken by events after interrogation and correspondences between then Inspector General of Police Tafa Balogun in 2003 and the United States government. The US Justice Department in a letter dated 4th February, 2003, issued by the Lagos Consulate of the United States Embassy, cleared our candidate.”
Responding to the petition, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, Director-General of NBC, agreed that Arise TV floutef broadcast code by broadcasting the report.
Therefore, the broadcast regulatory agency imposed the N2 million fine on the TV station and also gave it two weeks within which to pay.
“The said Press Release alleged that INEC is investigating the use of forfeiture by a US Court against the Presidential Candidate of the APC, with a view to prosecution. The press Release in reference has been tagged FAKE by INEC and the organisation has issued a counter Press Release to refute the story,” the NBC said.
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“This is a most unfortunate breach of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code and gross display of un-professionalism and insensitivity by your organisation at this time of electioneering.”
Though the NBC admitted that Arise TV had apologised to Tinubu, it insisted that the broadcast station fell short of utmost professionalism expectations.