Governor Olusegun Mimiko

By James Sowole

The Independent Campaign Network (ICN) of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Ondo State has petitioned the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) alleging unethical practice by the state-owned Ondo State Radiovision Corporation (OSRC). 

The ICN in the petition signed by its Director of Publicity and Strategy Bureau, Mr Bosun Oladimeji, alleged that the OSRC in the last seven months had flagrantly breached the simple principle of fair and balance reporting by refusing to air both paid adverts and programmes of political parties opposed to the Labour Party (LP) in the state particularly the (ACN).

Oladimeji also alleged that besides the station’s refusal to air or accept the paid advertisements of ACN, the programming of OSRC was skewed and manipulated to favour only Governor Olusegun Mimiko, his party, and his government activities.

The director said though the OSRC was being funded by the state but the programmes of the stations were being used to harass and embarrass opposition parties as most hours of broadcast are devoted to promote only the activities of LP and its candidate while no chance is giving to other parties and their candidates.  

Oladimeji, therefore, called on NBC to call the management of OSRC to order by obeying the NBC Act and mandated it to give other political parties opportunities to air their views, ideas, principles, and programmes and advertise their manifesto.  

Responding to the allegations, a top officer in the News Department of the OSRC who pleaded anonymity, said ACN had never invited the OSRC to its assignment, saying he had even asked somebody in the media department of Akeredolu Campaign Organisation to send schedule of the party’s campaign to the station, which they did not do.

“We cannot force our crew to any party’s assignment because we don’t want our workers to be attacked. But if we are duly invited, we know they will make adequate arrangement for the safety of our men. Our safety matters,” he said.