Legal
  • By ATN
  • Date 2022-09-08
Buhari, NBC stopped from Closing 53 Television and Radio Staions

A Federal High Court sitting in the Lagos jurisdiction has renewed the order asking President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) not to revoke the broadcast licenses of 53 television and radio stations in the country, for inability to pay their license fees.

 Hon. Justice Akintayo Aluko of Court 8 had on 29 August 2022 granted an order of interim injunction based on the motion exparte filed by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the order was granted pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.

 The case was adjourned to 8th September, 2022 and during hearing today, Hon.  Justice Daniel Emeka Osiagor extended the order of interim injunction pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice, and adjourned the matter to 26th October 2022 for the hearing of the originating summons.

 The Court extended the order of interim injunction following the hearing of an argument by SERAP and NGE counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN.

 It would be recalled SERAP and NGE had filed the suit against Buhari and NBC, asking the court for “a declaration that section 10(a) of the Third Schedule to the NBC Act used by NBC to threaten to revoke the licenses of 53 stations and to shut down the stations is unconstitutional and unlawful, as it violates freedom of expression.”

 In the suit, SERAP and NGE had asked the court for “an order of interim injunction restraining Buhari and NBC, their agents from revoking the licenses of 53 broadcast stations in the country and shutting their down operations, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed contemporaneously in this suit.”

 The suit followed the decision by the NBC to revoke the licenses of the 53 broadcast stations and shut down their operations within 24 hours over alleged N2.6 billion debt.

In the suit number FHC/L/CS/1582/2022, SERAP and NGE are asking the court to determine “whether section 10(a) of the Third Schedule to the NBC Act used by NBC to threaten revoke the licenses of 53 broadcast stations and shut them down is not in inconsistent with freedom of expression and access to information.”

 SERAP and NGE are also seeking “a declaration that section 10(a) of the National Broadcasting Act used by NBC to unilaterally revoke the licenses of the broadcast stations and shutdown the stations is a violation of the constitutionally and internationally guaranteed right to fair hearing.”

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