NLC to NBC: Praise media for surviving hardship not sanction

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has decried the withdrawal of operational licenses of 53 broadcast stations in the country by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

The NLC said with devastating economic environment induced by the government, Nigerian media establishment should be eulogised for their survival.

NBC had last week revoked the licenses of over 50 broadcast stations and threatened to shut down their operations over alleged N2.6 billion debts.

However, the NLC, in a statement issued on Wednesday by its chairman, Ayuba Wabba, media organisations have been trying to cope with a challenging business environment with the skyrocketed diesel price and unstable electricity.

He said: “Many media houses just like most businesses in Nigeria suffer the double jeopardy of escalating business costs and plummeting revenues. Largely to blame for this sad state of affairs is government which mismanagement of the economy has ensured that a litre of diesel is now knocking at the borderline of N1000. To compound the situation is the epileptic supply of electricity with the national grid collapsing intermittently for the umpteenth time in recent months.

“In addition to the soaring and scary rising energy costs which hit electronic media houses hardest given that they must always be on air whether it makes economic sense or not, there are salaries to pay, maintenance services, and sundry basic operating costs to keep the media houses running and serving their listening and viewing public.

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“Amidst these operational suffocations, how does the NBC expect the media houses to generate the money to renew their operating licenses? Indeed, Nigeria’s media houses should be eulogized for resilience, and tenacity in the face of prevailing economic blizzards.”

The NLC President stated that it was a smack of insensitivity for the government to take action that could affect jobs at the moment just as he accused governors of suggesting a mass sack of employees.

Wabba added: “The action of the NBC also smacks of insensitivity to the welfare of the staff of the media houses which operations are being shut down. It is unthinkable that in the middle of very traumatic economic realities, government would be thinking of flinging many Nigerians into the unemployment market. Well, this is not new.

“A few days ago, the Nigeria Governors Forum made a case for the mass sack of Nigerians in government employment. The unsolicited advice which had been robustly deflated by the NLC reveals a very embarrassing underbelly in the thinking of those commanding the reins of power in Nigeria today- crass insensitivity. This is very sad and unfortunate.”

The labour leader said although NBC has regulatory mandate it needs to understand the circumstances media and other business entities found themselves since after the COVID-19 pandemic disruption.

Wabba, who said it was commendable that the withdrawal has been reviewed, called on NBC to abandon the path in the interest of media organisations, democracy, and economic rights of the people.

The Star