Nigeria’s broadcast regulating body, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has instructed a Lagos State-based radio station, Grajos 89.3fm, not to grant an interview to a human rights’ activist, Mr Temitayo Oyekunle.
SaharaReporters learnt that the incident occurred at about 10.50am on Saturday.
Oyekunle, also an author, had been scheduled for an interview by 11am at the radio station on national issues bordering particularly on Nigeria’s 61st Independence Anniversary.
The NBC, however, called the Grajos management minutes to the programme, warning them not to grant an interview to the human rights’ activist.
SaharaReporters gathered that he was thereafter told that his dialogue on Nigerian Independence would no longer be entertained.
Oyekunle told SaharaReporters on Saturday that the Chairperson of the station got a call from the broadcasting regulator.
He said, “It was a programme on Grajos 89.3fm billed to start at 11am today. I was there at 10:50am waiting in the studio for the interview. I was shocked to be informed that the owner received a call from NBC not to grant any interview on Nigeria’s Independence.”
NBC has been notorious and thus faulted by the public under the Muhammadu Buhari regime for its clampdown on media platforms for reporting and airing criticisms of the Nigerian government.
It had, in recent times, slammed heavy fines on Arise TV, AIT and Channels Television for what it termed “unprofessional coverage of the #EndSARS protest” that lasted for two weeks in October last year.
It also slammed N3million each on these media houses and also again imposed a N5million fine on Channels TV in May for granting an interview to the Media and Publicity Secretary of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Emma Powerful.
