Ekiti APC writes NBC again over abuse of state media by state government

The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has again petitioned the National Broadcasting Commission over professional abuses in the state radio and television stations.

The letter was dated July 24, 2015.

It said instead of better management at the stations after they were fined N500,000 by the NBC over professional misconduct, there was no change in the misuse of the stations in the haunting of political opponents.

The allegation was contained in a statement by the state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Taiwo Olatubosun.

The statement said: “Sequel to our letter dated February 16, 2015 about the above subject matter, we are aware that the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State was fined N500,000.00 for the infractions bordering on professional misconduct.

“Sadly, the stations have not desisted from this unprofessional broadcast as they have continued to feed the general public with bare-faced lies against opposition members.

“The station’s Director-General, Lere Olayinka, once again exhibited his habitual unprofessional conduct by approving fabricated stories against my person, for the private producers and presenters of a popular Yoruba newspaper review programme ‘Lati Inu Aka’ to broadcast on their newspapers review programme.

“In the newspaper review on the state radio station presented by the duo of Biodun Ilori and Kayode Falegan, they read the false story that Lere Olayinka had earlier circulated in an online junk newspaper as a newspaper story when it was not in any newspaper.

“They lied that I, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, has a big sore on my leg which they attributed to a spiritual attack as a result of my media criticisms of Governor Fayose over which a spiritualist had asked me to beg the governor for forgiveness. The date of this offensive broadcast was Friday July 24, 2015. Time was 8: 15am to 9: 00am.”

Olatubosun said the offensive broadcast had caused him embarrassment “as many family members and friends panicked over my health while others see me as a traitor who is begging Governor Fayose secretly while attacking him openly in the media”.

He added: “There is no iota of truth in the story but a fabricated lie from Lere Olayinka and his boss, Governor Fayose.

“The duo of Biodun and Kayode, who are presenters of the newspaper review, are in the habit of reading any story presented to them by Olayinka even if it is not in any newspaper.

“Our party in an earlier petition complained about this and we are again bringing their activities to your notice so that appropriate sanctions could be applied. This is an abuse of state power and bastardisation of media professional ethics.”

Olatubosun said the party had earlier called NBC’s attention to Olayinka’s unprofessional conduct, questioning his professional qualification to hold the position of a Director- General of the media agency that he had turned to propaganda machines using social media gossips as the stations’ news bulletins to malign the opposition on behalf of the governor.

The statement added: “Through press releases, we had earlier highlighted various abuses the stations have been subjected by Mr Olayinka on behalf of his boss to get at the opposition, high ranking government officials in the Judiciary and Legislature perceived to be against Fayose’s administration.

“T‎he stations in one of their news bulletins in November 2014 accused the Chief Judge, Mr. Justice Ayodeji Daramola, of collecting N200 million bribe from APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to influence the judge sitting on Fayose’s eligibility case to rule against him.

“The stations also accused Dr. Fayemi of an attempt to transfer N950 million from a bank in Ghana but which the Ghana Central Bank stopped. These are all lies and fabrications aimed at denting the image of these decent Ekiti citizens.

“As if the above are not enough, the stations ran a hate campaign advertorial against the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari, depicting him as very wicked and insinuating that he will die in office.”

Olatubosun asked NBC to investigate Olayinka’s qualification in heading the media outfits and call him and the presenters of the newspaper review programme ‘Lati Inu Aka’ to order before they cause a breakdown of law and order with their inciting broadcasts.