Polarisation of media leading to further division in the country – Tom Adaba ...most sanctions on media unnecessary
Aaze Tom Adaba is a professor of Communication and acclaimed broadcast/media expert. Adaba who hails from Okene, in Kogi State, had a spectacular odyssey in the media firmament where he legendarily left his footprints in the sand of time as a pacesetter in the Nigeria mass media development. After paying his price in the broadcast practice at the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), the media teacher and author hit the zenith of his career as the pioneer Director General (DG) of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), where he resigned and continues his media journey as a media consultant. In this interview, the communication guru who turned 80 on July 2, sheds light on topical issues bordering on media, leadership and life at 80.
You were a leading voice in broadcast journalism. What is your assessment of NBC as well as the broadcast media?
I don’t see any relationship between the commission and the broadcast media. There have been many instances where the independence of the NBC is being expressed, especially the level of sanctions that it gives to various broadcast stations and the rest of them such as a N500,000 fine, N1 million fine. This was becoming loud and wasn’t giving them a better expression of itself. As a matter of fact, some sanctions were almost unnecessary. These are things you would have called the stations to order, by inviting the chief executives and lambast them over what they have done wrong and tell them not to do it again. The board is there and you don’t have any line of authority.
The minister directs DG, the DG implements and the stations slam any amount of money on them. I think that’s why there is no much rapport between the broadcast stations and the NBC. But I think there are still ways of patching that relationship and bringing back some level of confidence between them.
There are two Acts in the National Assembly — the Press Council Act and the NBC Act. There are assumptions that these are just ways the government hopes to gag the press. What are your thoughts regarding these Acts?
This has come up before. For instance, the issue of the Nigerian Press Council came up much earlier when we were setting up the NBC. There was the thought of licensing newspapers too. But the newspaper owners rose very stoutly and said no government could license them because they are not government agencies but totally independent. This is what they have been since 1876! I don’t see any reason for bringing it up now again; whether it is the imagination of the minister, I don’t know.
The National Assembly must look into it before they implement it. But there are other reasonable rules to be applied instead of licensing them. I don’t think it will work.
How would you describe today’s media? Are we really
Right now, everybody is gathering what he has and therefore using the media to help in gathering it. That is exactly what is happening and it’s very dangerous. It is not the best thing. Some are trying, alright, but I’m afraid media segregation is leading us to further division in the country.
playing our role as the Fourth Estate of the Realm?
Well, they are being forced to divert by the powers-that-be. Let nobody be in doubt about that.
Yes, the media are fighting to express themselves, but the other parties are fighting to ensure that they are the best. I think it is not a healthy thing for this country Nigeria. If I had my way, I would say that the decree which gave the single power to the minister to decide things for NBC should be expunged because ministers differ. Some ministers know the roles and work on them, and work hand in hand with the NBC. But some others are hungry for power that they would command and direct the NBC to do one thing or the other, whether it is good or not.
Unfortunately, NBC only follows orders from the minister.
I really like that law establishing NBC. It’s a military law because, during the military regime, they needed that to express their opinion in some situations. But in an independent democratic environment, you now say that one person has the right to direct a whole organization which I think is very dangerous. It’s appalling the kind of sanctions being given to media stations.
The Nigerian media in Nigeria is being regionalized. Does this augur well for the media industry in Nigeria?
Certainly not. But the circumstance of our country brought about that. In media stations 10 and 20 years ago, there was a level of coalition and crosspollination of ideas. Newspapers dominated the media houses then. Right now, everybody is gathering what he has and therefore using the media to help in gathering it. That is exactly what is happening and it’s very dangerous. It is not the best thing. Some are trying, alright, but I’m afraid media segregation is leading us to further division in the country.
Journalists face a lot of insecurity challenges in carrying out their duties. Specifically, this has affected their passion for investigative journalism which used to be one of the major thrusts of journalism practice aimed at providing truth and ensuring accountability.
How can journalists be guaranteed security to be able to do their jobs effectively?
I have no idea of how or where or what should be done. The security agencies may know. But I just know that yes, it is a truth that journalists face serious insecurity challenges. Let it be known too that every ordinary Nigerian citizen, too, faces insecurity challenges. But we cannot come out and take journalism out as a class of its own. Though one realizes how serious the business is, I’m not too sure it is the best thing to single out journalists for protection or