PDP, NUJ, NGE, others bash FG as NBC suspends AIT/Raypower licence
The NBC Director-General, Modibbo
Kawu, stated this at a press briefing in Abuja, saying the shutdown of
the media houses was until further notice.
The DG said the infractions committed by
the media houses included their inability to pay their licence renewal
fees and the airing of a Presidential election documentary while the
matter was still before a tribunal, among others.
REACTIONS
Closure of AIT, Raypower shocking, says NGE
The Nigeria Guild of Editors described the closure as shocking and unbelievable.
President of the guild, Funke Egbemode,
told one of our correspondents that the action of the NBC and the
Federal Government was unbelievable.
“This action is unbelievable. Why would
government do this in a democracy? This action is unacceptable and will
not stand,” she said.
In its reaction, the Ohaneze Ndigbo said the action portended danger for the survival of democracy in the country.
Its President, Chief John Nwodo, said,
“This portends danger for the survival of democratic rule in Nigeria.
I’m sure that the courts will be alive to defend democracy. This action
portends danger for freedom of speech in Nigeria.”
The Peoples Democratic Party, said the action was an indication that dictatorship had returned to the country.
It said that President Muhammadu Buhari
was behaving like a king, adding that he had forgotten that he was no
longer a military ruler.
The National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, said Nigerians must rise up and defend democratic rule.
He said, “This action of the government
is most undesirable and unfortunate. It is an indication of what to come
as the government must be planning to arrest Nigerians
indiscriminately.
“It is also an indication that the
government has returned the country to military rule. President Buhari
must know that he is not the king of the country. Rather, he should know
that we are in a democracy.
“We are not in a jungle. He should know
that there was a country before he assumed office and there will still
be a country after he must have left. He should build, instead of
destroying.”
We give FG 24 hours —NUJ
The President of the Nigeria Union of
Journalists, Christopher Isiguzo, said the shutdown would be resisted by
journalists in the country.
He said, “This simply signposts the
return to the dark days. The NUJ will not accept any attempt by anybody,
no matter how highly or lowly placed, to arm-twist or gag the media
from freely expressing itself.”
Iziguzo said, “If within 24 hours the decision is not rescinded, the NUJ might be forced to act.”
Also, the presidential candidate of the
PDP, Atiku Abubakar; a chieftain of the party, Femi Fani-Kayode;
and Senator Shehu Sani faulted the suspension.
Atiku said, “The legislature has been
challenged. The judiciary has been tackled. If we stand by as the press
loses its independence, there will be little to differentiate us from a
dictatorship. This should not happen.”
Fani-Kayode, on his part, warned that the worst had yet to come under the present administration.
Sani said, “The suspension of @AIT_Online is an utterly condemnable act.”
Earlier, the founder of DAAR
Communications Plc, Raymond Dokpesi, alleged that its
subsidiaries, Africa Independent Television and Raypower FM, were being
persecuted by the NBC on instructions from the Presidency.
The DAAR chairman lamented the
imposition of N500m in licensing fees on private broadcasting organizations while government-owned broadcast stations paid N10m.
