By A public invitation by the board of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to stakeholders to review the controversial sixth edition of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code has been rebuffed by the NBC’s management indicating all is not well among Nigeria’s broadcasting regulators.
Worried over raging apprehensions in the industry since the code was unveiled, the board led by its chairman, Ikra Bilbis, had last Friday issued a notice to stakeholders to make paper presentations on the amendments and ink their concerns.
According to the notice issued on behalf of the NBC’s chairman by a lawyer, Salihu Bamidele:
“The board of the National Broadcasting Commission sat to review the various positions and resolved that fresh invitations be extended to all stakeholders in the industry especially those with genuine observations aimed at improving the quality of Broadcasting in Nigeria
“Position papers in respect of the proposal amendments should please be submitted to reach the following e-mail addresses not later than 9th of July, 2020.”
But the acting Director General of the NBC, Armstrong Idachaba, has this week dismissed the notice. He said the NBC’s management is unaware of the call for position papers on the amendments to the 6th edition of the broadcasting code by the board.
Idachaba said the amendments are final and further input can only happen when the next review of the code takes place.
His words: “The amendment, as released, is therefore final. Any group wishing to make further inputs will exercise such views at the next Review of the Code.”
He added: “The amendment to the 6th Edition of the Code, we must reiterate, is consequent to the presidential approval for the reform of the National Broadcasting Commission.”
