The National Broadcasting Commission has queried Channels Television over the “inciting, divisive and unfair comments” made by Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on the TV’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ breakfast programme on Tuesday.
NBC disclosed this in a letter to the television station titled, ‘Notice of Infraction’. The regulator’s letter was dated August 24, 2021 and signed by its Director-General, Balarabe Ilelah.
NBC 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.
NBC gave ChannelsTV 24 hours to defend itself.


Ortom, who was a guest on the TV programme on Tuesday morning, expressed strong emotions when he accused the president of trying to “fulanise” Nigeria.
He compared President Buhari with other past Fulani presidents, Shagari and Yar’ Adua. The Governor praised the former presidents calling them the best in history but went on to call the current Nigerian president the worst especially in the areas of security. He also said the president fails to keep to his promises.
He pointed out that President Buhari’s promises in 2015 on human rights issues, press freedom, economy, corruption, security have not been achieved.
The vocal governor had castigated President Muhammadu Buhari’s stance on open grazing.
Buhari had approved recommendations of a committee to review 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in the country, “to determine the levels of encroachment.”
Reacting, Ortom had said, “If Mr President respects the law, the Land Use Act gives governors the power to preside over land administration on behalf of the people that they govern.
“So it is amazing and I am surprised to hear this coming from Mr President as if he doesn’t have an Attorney General, or Lawyers around him to advise him. I think Mr President was misquoted or he did it out of error. He should come out to apologise to Nigerians.”
Reacting to Ortom’s critical assessment, the presidency accused the governor of using language similar to that that birthed the Rwandan Genocide of 1994.
The presidency through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement had said, “In an attempt to boost his sinking political fortunes, Ortom takes the cheapest and lowest route possible by playing on ethnic themes – and in doing so knowingly causes deaths of innocent Nigerians by inciting farmers against herders, and Christians against Muslims.”
Garba also added that the “good, and fair-minded people of Benue State deserve more than this, and we look forward to the next election when they have an opportunity to restore its greatness.”