Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Balarabe Ilelah has said that the agency will keep summoning anyone who violates the broadcast code.
Ilelah who said this when members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) visited the commission’s office in Abuja, stated that “journalism is a profession that has ethics” which everyone must abide by.
He also said that the NBC was not created to suppress press freedom, but to guide the press.
The NBC DG said;
“As leaders of your various reputable and responsible organisation, I want you to tell your members that nobody is above the law.
“All of us must live within the coverage of the law and we must be held accountable. Journalism is a profession that has ethics, we are supposed to operate within the ethics of the profession.
“You came to the commission based on some reports from the social media. As a journalist, I know that news coming from social media are not verified and normally when you get information from anywhere, you need to verify the source of the news.
“But when the news had no source and then you went again and keep on spreading the news, that is not journalism.
“We are going to keep on fighting people that are spreading fake news, the commission will not be scared and will keep on summoning anyone who goes contrary to NBC code.
“NBC is not here to suppress press freedom, but to guide the press. Our duty is to make sure that everybody is given a fair playing ground so that you can say whatever you want to say that is according to the law.”
