BREAKING: NBC Queries Channels TV Over Governor Ortom Interview

• NBC has queried Channels TV over Governor Ortom’s interview.

EKOHOTBLOG reports that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has queried Channels Television following an interview of the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.

It was learnt that the NBC queried Channels TV over the “inciting, divisive and unfair comments” made by the governor on the TV’s breakfast programme, ‘Sunrise Daily’, on Tuesday.

The latest development was made this known via a letter by NBC to Channels TV titled, ‘Notice of Infraction’.

The letter was dated August 24, 2021, and signed by NBC Director-General, Balarabe Ilelah.

It read, “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.”

NBC added that the actions 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.

READ ALSO: FG Moves To Shut Channels TV, Arrest Journalists Over Alleged “Anti-Government” Interviews

“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 stated.

EKOHOTBLOG reports that Governor Ortom, who was a guest on the TV programme on Tuesday morning, had said, “Mr President is pushing me to think that what they say about him, that he has a hidden agenda in this country is true because it is very clear that he wants to fulanise but he is not the first Fulani president.

“Shagari was a Fulani President, Yar’ Adua was a Fulani President and they were the best in the history. But President Buhari is the worst President when it comes to issues of security and keeping his promises.

“Go back to 2015, what did he say, human rights issues, he talked about press freedom, about the economy, corruption, security, tell me one that Mr President has achieved.

“He has achieved some level of development in other sectors but these prominent things that are concerns to Nigerians and we are all worried about.. tell me when Mr President has come out to address them. Is it corruption, we are worse in the history of this country” Ortom said.

The governor further criticized President Muhammadu Buhari’s stance on open grazing.

EKOHOTBLOG recalls that President Buhari had approved recommendations of a committee to review 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in the country, “to determine the levels of encroachment”.

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