The newly implemented media laws by the Kano state government have come under fire from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which has deemed them unconstitutional and beyond the authority of any state.
“Regulating” material to “safeguard cultural and religious values” is the stated goal of new media regulations announced by the administration of Kano. Some of these measures include making media guests sign pledges not to make slanderous or abusive comments and banning live political programs.
There must be an end to all live political programming on any and all platforms. No presenter may instigate defamation or harm Kano State’s reputation by asking inflammatory questions or using gestures.
According to the state administration, the steps were taken after a meeting in Kano with representatives from the media to discuss the matter.
The action was deemed “ill-advised” and “entirely unconstitutional” by NBA president Afam Osigwe in a Thursday statement. There has been “a great breach of section 39 of the 1999 constitution” due to the state’s unilateral conduct, he insisted.
In accordance with national standards and constitutional regulations, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is the sole entity with the legal capacity to govern broadcast programming in Nigeria, according to Osigwe.
In a statement, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) made it clear that no Nigerian state government has the authority to control or restrict what is broadcast on television or radio.
The duty to guarantee that broadcast material conforms to national standards and constitutional laws rests entirely on the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), which was established by the NBC Act.
There are procedures in place to deal with harmful or improper content, and the NBC Code already offers a thorough framework for controlling broadcasting.
“The authority to take corrective action rests with the NBC, not with state governments, in the event that any station is determined to have violated these guidelines.”
The NBA went on to say that attempting to silence political speech “under the guise of maintaining public order” would be a bad idea.
The right to free speech, including the ability to receive and share ideas and information without hindrance, is guaranteed in Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which the Kano State Government’s unilateral action violates, according to Osigwe.
The vitality of political conversation, openness, and responsibility are endangered by efforts to censor live political programming in the name of preserving public order. In a democratic society, where the free interchange of ideas is non-negotiable, it further undermines media independence and public access to information.
To stop other states from going to extremes like this, the NBA demanded that the NBC immediately rescind the order and asked the network to reclaim its power.
To avoid further intrusions by state governments, the National Basketball Association demands that the National Broadcasting Commission reassert its regulatory power and demands that this order be reversed immediately.