Monday letter2
Big Brother Naija is a famous TV reality show that features contenders for cash prize and other handful material gifts. According to the show’s parlance, the contenders are known as “housemates” who reside together in an isolated house under close monitoring with live television cameras. The home viewers and fans determine the housemate who wins the competition through online voting. Customarily, eviction is carried out through voting on weekly basis until a housemate remains and wins the prize.
The first edition of the BBNaija show was aired on AFANG TV where Katung Aduwak emerged the winner among other 14 housemates who contended for $100,000 cash prize and other valuable gifts. In 2017, the series had Micheal Efe Ejeba as the winner. Miracle Ikechukwu emerged victorious in the 2018 edition, while Mercy Eke won the prize for the recently concluded fourth edition.
Numerous calls for the cancellation of BB Naija series had trailed the concluded fourth edition. The arguments for the calls ranged from religious, cultural and moral. Many religious leaders and adherents had regarded the TV show’s daily routines as satanic. The moralists and culturists argued that BBNaija promoted indecency and pornography as against societal values.
Nigeria is a secular state guided by constitutional provisions and other enacted laws. BBNaija could only be banned on legal grounds and frameworks. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) controls and regulates the broadcasting industry in Nigeria. This regulation can’t be exercised except in a manner stipulated by law. The NBC ban doesn’t suffice on individuals’ sensation and outcry. Succinctly, the BBNaija TV show is liable for abrogation if its contents contravene any extant laws.
The aforementioned complaints levied against BBNaija would be unsolved if the show is eventually banned subject to due process. Nigerians are accessible to hundreds of unregistered local channels that streamline sexual-related movies and songs. Moreover, there are foreign pornographic airwaves easily accessible to all and sundry. The moralists and religious leaders could properly restrict their subjects and congregants respectively from streaming sexual contents through teachings and admonitions.
Binzak Azeez, Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife
