Journalist Chamberlain Usoh, who is the lead anchor of Channels TV breakfast show Sunrise Daily, has confirmed that his team was invited by the National Broadcasting Commission on Thursday for questioning.
The invitation followed a query issued to the broadcast station by the NBC over comments made by Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom during an interview on Tuesday.
Mr Usoh, in an Instagram post on Thursday, thanked all who reached out to him and his colleagues following the NBC invitation, adding that the Sunrise Daily team had left the commission’s office.
“Today, we (myself and the Sunrisedaily Team) were invited by the NBC. We’ve left their premises. Above all, I’ll like to sincerely thank the management of ChannelsTV, my family, colleagues (Journalists across board 👍🏾 ) friends and Everybody.
“I’m deeply humbled by you all. If only you know that I cannot thank you all enough. Please forgive me if I don’t respond in time to your calls. We’ll keep doing our job professionally. God bless you all. God bless Nigeria,” he wrote.
Publisher of Sahara Reporters and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore was at the NBC building to show solidarity with the journalists.
The NBC had in a letter to Channels TV dated August 24, 2021, and signed by its director-general Balarabe Ilelah said, “The programme which had as guest the Executive Governor of Benue State, Governor Samuel Ortom, was observed to contain inciting, divisive and unfair comments which were not thoroughly interrogated by the anchors.”
It said the actions negated Sections 1.10.4, 3.1.1, 3.3.1(b), 3.3.1(e), 3.11.1(a), and 3.12.2 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
It also gave the broadcast station 24 hours within receipt of the letter to explain why sanctions should not be applied for the alleged infractions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
