The Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Balarabe Ilelah, on Monday said the agency would continue to summon any journalist or media house that violates broadcasting code.
He, therefore, called on media organisations to ensure they adhere strictly to the commission’s regulations.
The NBC boss stated this when he addressed newsmen at the agency’s Abuja office.
Ilelah said, “As leaders of your various reputable and responsible organisations, 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 social media. As a journalist, I know that news coming from social media is 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 kept 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.”
The commission recently summoned anchors of Channels Television ‘Sunrise Daily’ over an interview granted by Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom. The governor had during the interview, accused President Muhammadu Buhari of trying to ‘Fulanise’ Nigeria.