By Hillary Asemota
The Executive Director, CASER, a human rights body in Abuja, Mr. Frank Tietie, has advanced reasons why the 52 media houses whose licenses have been revoked by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over renewal fees which the Commission, said accumulated to N2.6 billion since 2015 not to pay.
In a statement, Tietie, said: “We make a distinction between licence renewal fees and taxes? Again, I am yet to find anyone who has juxtaposed the constitutional duty of the Nigerian media with the support it gets from the Nigerian state.*
According to him, a duty goes with both responsibility and reward. Once licenced, the profit of media houses may be taxed but their existence by virtue of the Nigerian Constitution cannot be subject to payment of licence renewal fees, he added.
“Thus, new and intending media houses can be charged whatever fees at the point of registration and licensing and, for them to commence operation, they can only be given conditions that are within constitutional limits. Once those conditions are met, the already issued licences can no longer be withdrawn except for clear breaches of constitutional standards, such decision of which must be subject to determination by the Federal High Court at the instance of the regulator.
“It is a constitutional violation to have prohibitive annual licence renewal fees which already licenced media houses find difficult to pay, to the point of being so highly indebted.”
Recall that NBC on August 29, revoked the broadcast licenses of 52 broadcast stations across the country over indebtedness to the regulatory commission.
NBC says the 52 stations are owning over N2.6 billion since 2015 citing Act CAP N11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2014.
