By Our Reporter
The Nigerian Guild of Editors has appealed to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to desist from its threats on media organisations in the country.
A statement signed by the President and General Secretary of the Guild, Mr Mustapha Isah and Mrs Mary Atolagbe respectively, described such threats as condemnable and an attack on Press Freedom.
Recall that the NBC had ordered the shutdown of a widely viewed programme on Channels Television.
The regulatory body also slammed a N5million fine on the media organisation over an interview with the spokesperson of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Emmanuel Powerful.
Powerful had featured on Channels programme, ‘Politics Today’ on April 25, during which he allegedly made inciting statements.
Consequently, the NBC in its correspondence to the the media organisation ordered the immediate suspension of the programme and slammed the fine on it.
However, the Guild of Editors in the statement described the action of the NBC as hypocritical and a show of double standards.
“The body of editors views the NBC letter to Channels Television as double standards, because stations that aired Sheikh Gumi’s parley with terrorists in their camps were not sanctioned by the commission.
“The NBC should jettison the N5m fines on Channels Television and the practice of issuing threats to broadcasting stations over matters that could easily be resolved through dialogue.
“The Guild would not stand by and watch while regulatory agencies in the country threaten media houses and their operations,” it said.
The statement pointed out that Press Freedom would be threatened when media houses were made to operate in an atmosphere of fear.
“The Guild stands with Channels Television and will go to any length to defend Press Freedom in Nigeria. Democracy will be meaningless in Nigeria if Press Freedom is eroded,” it stated.
