August 27, (THEWILL) – The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has summoned Channels Television presenters, Chamberlain Usoh and Kayode Okikiolu, to its Headquarters in Abuja.
Usoh, Okikiolu and two other anchors of the TV’s “Sunrise Daily” breakfast programme were invited to the Abuja office of the commission on Thursday over some comments made against President Muhammadu Buhari by two guests on the programme this week.
Sources familiar with the development confirmed that the presenters, who left Lagos on Thursday morning to honour the invitation are already in Abuja.
The NBC, THEWILL, gathered, is not comfortable with an interview granted on Tuesday by Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, while featuring on the Channel TV Programme, Sunrise Daily.
In addition, the commission frowned at an interview granted on Wednesday by a former Navy Commodore, Kunle Olawunmi, who alleged that some members of the Buhari cabinet are Boko Haram sponsors.
THEWILL reports that the NBC queried Channels Television over an “inciting, divisive and unfair comments” made by Ortom on the programme on Tuesday.
NBC made this known in a “Notice of Infraction,” dated August 24, 2021, and signed by its Director-General, Balarabe Ilelah.
NBC said, “The programme which had as guest the Executive Governor of Benue State, Governor Samuel Ortom, was observed to contain inciting, divisive and unfair comments which were not thoroughly interrogated by the anchors.”
It said the actions allegedly negated Sections 1.10.4, 3.1.1, 3.3.1(b), 3.3.1(e), 3.11.1(a), and 3.12.2 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
“Consequently, Channels Television is required to explain why appropriate sanctions should not be applied for these infractions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. Your response should reach the Commission within 24 hours of the receipt of this letter,” the NBC said.
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