NBC directs all broadcast stations to suspend use of their Twitter handles
June 7, 2021
The National Broadcasting Commission has directed all broadcast stations in Nigeria to suspend the patronage of Twitter immediately.
This directive is contained in a Statement signed by the Director General of the Agency, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba on Monday in Abuja.
Idachaba noted that it would be unpatriotic for any broadcaster in Nigeria to continue to patronise the suspended Twitter as a source of its information.
According to him, section 2 (1) of the NBC Act entrusts the Commission with responsibility to ensure strict adherence to the national laws, rules and regulations.
“This is consequent on the suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria by the Federal Government over the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining the corporate existence of Nigeria,
“Therefore, strict compliance is enjoined and in Compliance to the above directive, Broadcasting Stations are hereby advised to uninstall twitter.
“Also, section 3.11.2 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code provides that the broadcaster shall ensure that law enforcement is upheld at all times in a matter depicting that law and order are socially superior to or more desirable than Crime and Anarchy.
“Attention is also drawn to section 5.6.3 of the code which requires broadcasters to be mindful of materials that may cause disaffection, incite to panic or rift in the society in the use of a user generated Content (UGC),” the statement read in part.
On June 4, the Federal Government suspended, indefinitely, the operations of Twitter, the microblogging and social networking service, in Nigeria.