Professor of Strategy and Development and Centre Director at Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies, Anthony Kila has reacted to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)’s decision to revoke licences of some media houses.
Gatekeepers News earlier reported that the NBC revoked licences of the African Independent Television (AIT), Raypower FM, Silverbird Television (STV), and 49 broadcast radio and television stations over failure to renew their broadcast licences amounting to N2.66 billion.
The Commission said it had issued a two-week waiver to them in May to pay up or risk the revocation of their broadcast licences.
In his reaction, Kila in a statement he made available on Friday, said: “The decision to revoke licenses of major media outlets in the country is a sad development and it is an index of how bad things are in the country.
Operators should pay their dues. It should be a fixed cost in their planning.
Regulators should however consider revoking of licenses as a very last and dramatic option.
As an arm of government, regulators should be conscious of the of their actions, it is easy to at least suspect if not imagine that this action is aimed at gagging independent media. Ideally regulators should do all they can to avoid such speculations.
Given the state of the government also need to go beyond implementing laws, government has to take into account the consequences of their actions on the lives of staff of these affected organisations as well as their families. These are all citizens and they are the major stakeholders of the Nigerian project.
A government that cares and feels accountable to its citizens should feel obliged to identify and explore many readily options before pushing the last and dramatic button.
Outstanding fees can be negotiated, agreements can reached. Accounts can be frozen.
This is a time to grow companies not impede their operations.”
