NATIONAL Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Director-General Malam Ishaq Modibbo Kawu has reiterated the commission’s commitment to strengthen its role to ensure proper supervision of broadcast stations activities on political campaigns.
Speaking yesterday at the opening of a two-day workshop on political broadcast in Sokoto, Kawu noted that political parties and candidates have roles to play in shaping the process to enable the nation’s democracy thrive in peace.
Kawu said: “We need to responsively reflect on the mutual ideals of democracy to sustain an acceptable process.”
Explaining that the commission was responsible for adequate supervision and sanctioning of erring stations, Kawu noted that stations must measure up with the challenges associated with their responsibilities, especially during electioneering campaigns.
“It is my hope that the workshop would avail us the opportunity of knowing the important task before us and take advantage to learn and do the needful towards ensuring a peaceful electioneering process,” he said.
NBC Board Chairman Ikra Iliyasu Bilbis stressed the need for parties and politicians to depart from negative tendencies and activities that serially characterised elections in the past.
“It seems Nigeria has not learnt from past experience,” Bilbis said.
He enumerated rumour, denying opposition access to air their views, especially through government-owned media, dwelling on non-issue based political discuss among others as catalysts.
In their separate messages of goodwill, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other stakeholders who spoke in same direction, including the traditional institution, assured of their resolve to support and ensure smooth, peaceful and successful electioneering and elections process.
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