Court Stops NBC From Imposing Fines On Broadcast Stations In Nigeria

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, gave an order of perpetual injunction restraining the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country henceforth.

Justice James Omotosho, who gave the order in a judgment he delivered in a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda also, set aside the N500,000 fines imposed on March 1, 2019, on each of the 45 broadcast stations.

Justice Omotosho held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations and further held that the NBC Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanctions, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law.

He said the court would not sit idle and watch a body imposing fine arbitrarily without recourse to the law, adding that, the commission did not comply with the law when it sat as a complainant and at the same time, the court and the judge on its own matter.

The judge agreed that the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, being a subsidiary legislation that empowers an administrative body like the NBC to enforce its provisions cannot confer judicial powers on the commission to impose criminal sanctions or penalties such as fines.

He also agreed that the commission, not being Nigerian police, had no power to conduct criminal investigation that would lead to criminal trial and imposition of sanctions.

According to the Judge, “This will go against the doctrine of separation of powers”, and held that what the doctrine sought to achieve was to prevent tyranny by concentrating too much powers in one organ.

Justice Omotosho said the action of the respondent qualifies as excessiveness as it had ascribed to itself the judicial and executive powers.

Justice Omotosho described NBC’s act as being ultra vires and held that the fines imposed by NBC as punishment for commission of various offences under its code were contrary to the law and hereby declared unconstitutional, null and void.

NBC had, on March 1, 2019, imposed the sum of N500,000 each on 45 broadcast stations in the country over alleged violation of its code.

However, the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda sued the NBA in an originating motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1386/2021.

In the motion filed in November 2021 by its lawyer, Noah Ajare, the group sought a declaration that the sanctions procedure applied by NBC in imposing N500,000 fines on each of the 45 broadcast stations on March 1, 2019, was a violation of the rules of natural justice.

The lawyer also said that the fines were in violation of the right to a fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Articles 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap AQ) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The group argued that this was so because the code, which created the alleged offences of which the broadcast stations were accused was written and adopted by NBC, “and also gives powers to the said commission to receive complaints of alleged breaches, investigate and adjudicate the complaints, impose sanctions, including fines, and ultimately collect the fines, which the commission uses for its own purposes.”

It therefore, sought an order setting aside the N500,000 fines purportedly imposed by NBC on each of the 45 broadcast stations and an order of perpetual injunction restraining NBC, its servants, agents, privies, representatives, or anyone acting for or on its behalf, from imposing fines on any of the broadcast stations or any other broadcast station in Nigeria for any alleged offence committed under the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.