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NTA’s Gross Professional Misconduct By Jide Ayobolu
The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) management has directed that Vice President Atiku Abubakar be given a blackout henceforth on all its network news and programmes. Specific instructions were issued that any reports of his activities as a flag-bearer of the Action Congress (AC) in the coming presidential elections remain barred until such a time INEC agrees to re-list him as a candidate on the ballot. This must be the limit of media intimidation and manipulation not seen even under previous military regimes.
It will be recalled that the Vice President has gone to court on this matter, and NTA, as a publicly funded media organization ought to remain non-partisan and create a level playing field for all political gladiators as articulated in its Political Broadcast Manual, by respecting his continued participation in campaigns pending a verdict. Unfortunately, the NTA has chosen to become another department of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) availing unlimited airtime to the party in its news, discussion programmes and live broadcasts, in a manner and way that is denied to opposition parties even when they pay. The amount of airtime given to the PDP even in news and the total suppression of opposition views and critique of the government of the day has torn to shreds all promises of NTA to fairness, balance truth. In fact, on several occasions NTA returned back money, the Atiku Campaign Organization paid for their activities to be aired.
The Presidency keeps the Director General of NTA and its management on edge, barking out arbitrary orders on pain of losing their jobs. Only recently the Management was forced to “punish” its directors by way of a major shake-up to appease the Presidency, after airing of a documentary featuring Atiku in rally at Ilorin. The rally criticized the failure of the federal government to complete urban water schemes including that of Ilorin and the fall in the life expectancy of Nigerians according to UN data. The portion of the documentary where the crowd was chanting “PDP is dead” was faded out. Even at that the Presidency was livid and demanded for blood. As a result the Executive Director (NEWS) was moved to programme, his counterpart in programme was moved to marketing, while the director in charge of training was moved to news. Similarly, the General Manager in Charge of NTA plus was moved to the new international station, and he was replaced by the General Manager of NTA 2 Channel 5.
The NTA like INEC that is being funded with taxpayer’s money is no longer an unbiased umpire but has become an instrument of vengeance in the hands of the power that be. Left unchecked it will become a threat to peaceful elections and a danger to democracy. Both public bodies have thrown overboard professional ethics, due process, equity, fair play, and justice. We therefore call upon the National assembly to amend the laws setting up INEC and NTA, News Agency of Nigeria and FRCN to insulate them from Executive interference and hijack, as was done for the EFCC to ensure the survival of democracy. Nigerians have hailed the Senate for taking the bold step on EFCC and they are calling on the House of Representatives to concur. NTA should remember that those who fail to learn from history will sooner than later become part of the relics of history. |