Badeggi Radio, a privately owned radio station in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria, has gone off air after it was shut down on the orders of the State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago.
The order for the shutdown was issued on July 28 by the Governor during an expanded meeting of the Niger State All Progressives Congress, APC Caucus held at the Government House in Minna. He directed the Commissioner of Homeland Security, Mohammed Bello, and the Commissioner of Police, Adamu Elleman, to also ensure that the media facility is locked.
Additionally, Governor Baggo, directed the security operatives to profile the station’s owner, whom he accused of running a station that promotes violence. Badeggi Radio which broadcasted on the frequency 90.1 MHz, has since been off air.
The shutdown has been condemned by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), which has pointed out that the Governor has no power to revoke the license of media organisations, as such revocation can only be done by a court.
In a statement , the chairman of the NUJ, Abu Nmode, said a broadcast licence can only be revoked through judicial order.
“Governor Mohammed Umar Bago should tread with caution and by democratic tenets in issuing orders. The Governor should understand the role of the media in holding public officers accountable.
“It is only the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, that has legal powers to issue licenses to radio and television stations and can also revoke the same through judicial interpretations when such stations err,” Nmodu said.
The statement also went on to advice the Governor to file complaints with the media regulator, the National Broadcasting Commission, if he has any grievance against the radio station.
The Governor’s action has also been criticized as unconstitutional by celebrated lawyer, Femi Falana, who is also a Board Member of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).
The MFWA joins the NUJ and its Board Member to demand the reversal of the shutdown against Badeggi Radio. If the Governor has evidence of unprofessional conduct against the station, it should duly file a complaint with the NBC. The closure of the station unjustifiably denies information to all persons who rely on it as their source of information.
