Broadcasting
Hate Speech: DSS Is Better Than NBC
By Tonnie 0. Iredia
History tell us that in most heterogeneous societies, multiple centrifugal forces make it easy for the fragile fabric that binds society together to give way at the slightest provocation.
To avoid the dismemberment of such societies therefore the remedy is to always pursue policies that can unite the different groups that make-up any such society.
Nigeria is a good example of a nation whose constituents have for long been restive about what many see as basic inequality in the management of public affairs.
This has over the years tended to accentuate ethno-religious intolerance compelling government to rely more on prescriptive criteria than merit in many policies.
Under the circumstance, Nigerian leaders have found it expedient to take steps to consciously dissuade the use of intemperate language that can inflame passion and cause anarchy in society.
But this has to be done without encroaching on the fundamental principle of freedom of expression which democracy guarantees.
According to Section 39, of the Nigerian Constitution 1999, “every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.”
However, Section 45 of the same constitution makes it clear that freedom of expression must not be used to make reckless statements that can adversely affect other persons.
In other words, government has a duty to ensure that laws such as that on defamation are made to protect the rights of other citizens. Bearing in mind that the mass media have the capacity of disseminating information far and wide, the conduct of the media has to be regulated to avoid disseminating insensitive materials that can pitch one group of society against the other.
Therefore, a regulation such as the National Broadcasting Code which among other things, seeks to prohibit fake news and hate speech that are injurious to society is tolerable, provided, it is neither politicized nor used for witch-hunting.
Put differently, no regulation should be negatively constructed to become a fault-finding tool or an instrument to gag the media.
On Monday, August 10, 2020, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank who is currently a Directing Staff at Nigeria’s authoritative Policy Research Institute in Kuru, Jos, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia while participating in a radio programme alleged that a serving Nigerian state governor was one of the commanders of the dreaded Boko Haram group.
In the reported words of Mailafia, “some of us also have our intelligence networks. I have met with some of the bandits; we have met with some of their high commanders – one or two who have repented – they have sat down with us not once, not twice. They told us that one of the northern governors is the commander of Boko Haram in Nigeria.”
As was expected, two relevant Nigerian Agencies, the Department of State Services, DSS and the broadcast regulator, the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC quickly reacted to the subject.
While the DSS invited Mailafia for questioning with a view to extracting more facts on the authenticity of his claims, the NBC examined the broadcast against the backdrop of its mandate to ensure that no broadcast station is used to undermine the continued existence of the country.
The two agencies have since made a number of declarations on the subject. On its part, the NBC, instantly found the radio station, Nigeria Info 99.3 guilty of what it called “unprofessional broadcast” and imposed a fine of N5 million on the station.
In the case of the DSS, the conclusion arrived at was that it was indecent on the part of Mailafia to have disseminated such information without using his well-connected links in society to verify the heavy allegations before making them public. Thereafter the DSS warned all highly-placed citizens to show greater restraint in their public utterances.
Before reaching her conclusion, the DSS invited Mailafia twice for interrogation thereby giving him ample opportunity to defend himself.
When compared with the summary trial which the NBC gave to the Nigeria Info radio station, it is obvious that at least on this matter, the DSS has been more humane than the broadcast regulator. Although the DSS has all the instruments of coercion at her disposal, she was not coercive. Indeed, Mailafia’s lawyer testified that the service was civil in her conduct with his client.
Many people particularly broadcasters, this writer inclusive, have since remained baffled by the speed with which the broadcast regulator found the radio station guilty of “unprofessional conduct” in its transmission.
First, the interview was organized by the station on one of its regular slots – ‘Morning CrossFire’ where different personalities are invited to air views on burning issues, in which case it was a normal programme which had no trappings of mischief.
Second, the guest was by every standard, a first-class political news maker, capable of throwing light on issues of public interest being a bonafide Nigerian political leader who would have been our President if the party which sponsored him as a Presidential candidate had won last year’s Presidential elections.
Third, the programme was a LIVE broadcast that could not have been subjected to editorial control unlike a recorded programme that could be edited to remove unwanted portions.
Fourth, following global realities in broadcasting, LIVE programming is today the new trend making it untenable to question the format and philosophy of Morning CrossFire.
Based on the above, we think the NBC’s posture is not a plus to society just as it cannot improve the broadcasting profession in Nigeria. Rather, the huge fine on a purported offence, could only have instilled fear in broadcasters to now embrace self-censorship and timidity.
The NBC needs to move away and very quickly too, from that old perception of radio as an organ for telling the people what the government wants them to hear. Public expectations of the media in society have since gone beyond that narrow prism.
Today, the media is expected to undertake a surveillance of the environment, while monitoring the process of governance as mandated by Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution. It is also to serve as a link between the government and the people; as well as criticize and analyze events.
More importantly, the media is not only to inform the people but also to protect their rights to know while at the same time pointing out danger signals in the horizon for people to avert a woeful end.
As heavy as Mailafia’s allegation appears to be, there is no conclusive proof that it is false just as the allegation is neither different nor heavier than the old unproved belief that Boko Haram was founded by a governor.
The intelligence services should therefore see Mailafia’s addition as a new vista for understanding the advent and growth of insurgency and how to bring it to a peaceful end in our country.
Electioneering campaigns going on in Edo State at the moment, are replete with hate speeches thereby confirming that the greatest culprit of hate speech is the political class.
We cannot make progress if offending politicians receive sermons only while the media, they use are heavily penalized by a regulator, whose component parts – Minister, Board and Management are singing discordant tunes.
—Iredia is former DG, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)
Federal Government of Nigeria has marked a significant milestone on Friday, 14th February 2025, by breaking ground for the construction of the Sustainable & Emerging Technologies Institute (SETI).
This institute, under the aegis of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), aims to ensure the socio-economic wellbeing of future generations. The groundbreaking ceremony was held at the Bayero University Kano (BUK) New Campus.
Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, Executive Vice Chaiman/Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NASENI, during the Ground-breaking ceremony held at the Bayero University Kano (BUK) New Campus said the new institute sits on 30 hectares of the BUK land to be built, featuring state-of-the-art facilities, including innovation hubs devoted to Artificial Intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies, complemented by reliable power supply. “NASENI will fully build and equip and support the new Institute” said the EVC/CEO.
The future of socio-economic development for nations rests on human creativity, innovation and cooperation, Artificial intelligence, robotics amongst others.
Halilu said that the establishment of SETI in Nigeria is to rapidly respond to the waves of young people globally revolutionizing world economies with unprecedented emergence of socio-economic frontiers as by-products of innovations and ingenuities of these young minds.
“We in NASENI are firm believers in the potential of young Nigerians to be the prime catalysts of the type of transformation that Nigeria requires. And we will do everything within our powers to support them to fulfil this important responsibility”
“We are gathered here today to kickstart a project that will transform the lives and careers of future generations of young Nigerians. The Sustainable & Emerging Technologies Institute (SETI), located at the Bayero University Kano (BUK) by NASENI. This is very much in line with our operating principles; what we call our 3Cs: Collaboration, Creation, and Commercialization. These 3Cs are the principles that passionately drive us and guide the work that we do to ensure the industrialization of Nigeria in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
SETI will produce innovators, technologists, entrepreneurs who will make their mark not just in Nigeria but around the world. “I’m eagerly looking forward to the day, not too long from now, when the Institute’s first set of beneficiaries will astonish the world with what they’re capable of accomplishing. These stories will put not just BUK on the global innovation map, but also Kano State and the entire Nigeria” said Halilu.
While carrying out the symbolic foundation laying ceremony of the institute as Special Guest of Honour, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, described the project as not only laudable but NASENI’s another way of fast-tracking the placing of Nigeria on the global map of innovation and industrialization. The minister called the project an “ace project” and a pointer to secure a veritable socio-economic development for the nation.
In his goodwill message, the Vice Chancellor of BUK, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas described the new institute as a vehicle for bringing together the three critical tripods for economic and sustainable development for nations, that is, the government, academia and industry. He described the ground-breaking event as the beginning of Nigeria’s journey in pursuit of sustainable development, massive job creation opportunities for the youths, and that the BUK was delighted to be host to such laudable initiative and momentum.
There is also, in addition to SETI, a second NASENI project for BUK is an Agri-preneurship Training Hub, that will be equipped with modern greenhouses, and facilities for Soil-less Farming, and Tissue Culture; occupying 10 hectares of land at the Old Campus. These projects collectively represent what NASENI stands for, that is, building capacity, advancing industrialization, supporting economic growth and prosperity.
NASENI appreciates the Government and people of Kano State, and the Vice Chancellor, management and students of Bayero University Kano (BUK), for all the support. Special gratitude goes to the Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, the Special Guest of Honour.
NASENI thanked members of the National Assembly for their support, especially the NASENI oversight Committees in both chambers. And of course, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has given NASENI the opportunity to serve Nigeria through his unwavering demonstration of commitment to the success of the Agency.
The family of the late chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, led by his wife, Mrs. Bose Ojougboh, marked his one-year memorial anniversary with a series of charitable initiatives aimed at honoring his legacy of philanthropy and service to society.
The memorial activities included the donation of school books and bags to pupils of Erigbe Primary School, in Agbor within the Ika South Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State, where Dr. Ojougboh had received his early education.
The outreach also included extension of financial assistance to patients at Central Hospital, Agbor, and the provision of toiletries, cash, and food items to children at the Salve Regina Children’s Home, Agbor.
The outreach was carried out under the ‘Dr. Cairo Ojougboh Foundation’, a family-led initiative established to immortalise him and continue his lifelong commitment to education, healthcare, and social welfare.
Speaking during the event which took place recently, Mrs. Ojougboh reaffirmed the family’s dedication to sustaining the ideals of the late APC chieftain, describing him as a man who strongly believed in education and giving back to society.
“We are here to celebrate the life of my husband, Late Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, who passed on a year ago. In his honour, we decided to give back to society.
“He was a man who valued education and was always willing to help others. It is only fitting that we continue his legacy through acts of generosity,” she stated.
Honouring his passion for education
The first visit was to Erigbe Primary School, where Dr. Ojougboh had received his early education. The Foundation distributed school bags, writing materials, and food packs to the pupils. The family encouraged the pupils to take their education seriously and strive to become responsible citizens.
Supporting patients at Central Hospital, Agbor
At Central Hospital, Agbor, Mrs. Ojougboh and her entourage moved through the medical wards, offering financial support to patients to assist with their treatment costs. The hospital staff and beneficiaries responded with prayers and words of gratitude for the kind gesture.
Reaching out to orphaned children
The outreach team also visited Salve Regina Children’s Home in Agbor where they donated cash, food items, and toiletries to the children. The Matron of the home expressed her deep appreciation to the Ojougboh family, commending their commitment to sustaining the late politician’s legacy of compassion and social impact.
Dr. Cairo Ojougboh’s enduring legacy
Reflecting on her late husband’s contributions to society, Mrs. Ojougboh emphasised that his legacy of generosity and service to humanity would not be forgotten.
“Dr. Cairo was a selfless man who touched many lives. His contributions to the Nigerian political landscape, his mark in Agbor Kingdom, Delta State, and the country at large, will always be remembered. He may be gone, but his impact will continue to be felt for generations,” she said.
The Dr. Cairo Ojougboh Foundation has pledged to continue supporting education, healthcare, and social welfare initiatives in his memory, ensuring that his vision for a better society lives on.
Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court Abuja has discharged and acquitted Ishaq Kawu Modibbo, former director-general, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), and Pinnacle Communications Limited.
Ishaq Kawu Modibbo, former director-general, NBC
They were being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences (ICPC) of charges bordering on the ₦2.5 billion released to Pinnacle Communications under the Federal Government Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.
Delivering judgement on Thursday, Justice Ogunbanjo held that the ICPC was not able to prove the allegations against the defendants.
The judge further discharged the defendants on the grounds that the statements and evidence of the witnesses, could not pin any allegation on the defendants.
She further held that some of the witnesses contradicted themselves, and none of their statements was able to link the defendants to the charge.
According to the judge, while some of the witnesses in their oral evidence, said Lai Mohammed, former Minister of Information, was misled in approving the payment of ₦2.5 billion to Pinnacle Communications Ltd, they failed to render any documentary evidence.
The trial of the former director-general of the NBC lasted for six years.
He and Pinnacle Communications were prosecuted by the ICPC, on a five count amended charge over the release of ₦2.5bn to Pinnacle Communications Ltd, under the approval of Mohammed, under the FG Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.
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