Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has stopped President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from revoking the licenses of 53 broadcast stations in the country and shutting down the stations for allegedly failing to renew their licenses.
Justice Aluko gave the order restraining President Buhari and NBC while ruling on an exparte application filed and argued by the counsel of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) to that effect.
SERAP and NGE had last week filed a lawsuit against Buhari and NBC, praying 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 broadcast 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.
Justice Aluko fixed September 8 for the hearing of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.
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 to 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 a fair hearing.”
Credit: Daily Sun