NTA turns down Shekarau TV commercial

Posted by admin Elections 2011, Latest Politics Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) has turned down a paid television commercial featuring Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, presidential candidate of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and Kano State Governor.

The commercial, produced by the Shekarau for Nigeria Campaign Organisation (SfN), is adapted from the NN24 presidential debate, where Mallam Shekarau was deemed to have performed excellently. It contained the candidate’s closing remarks where he detailed his famous “Six Characteristics of Good Governance.”

Shekarau had said at that debate: “Every Nigerian aspires to have good governance. There are six globally-accepted standards of good governance, which are agreed upon even by the World Bank and the United Nations. Number one: Voice and accountability; Number two: Political stability; Number three: Effectiveness in governance; Number four: Regulatory control; Number five: Rule of law; and Number six: Control of corruption.”

“So, if you want good governance, my advice to you is, look at these characteristics, who among the candidates considering his past and antecedents can guarantee the satisfaction of these six standards of good governance, whoever it is between you and your Almighty God, vote for him.”
When the Shekarau Campaign Organisation first approached NTA to air the commercial two weeks ago, the television station cited copyright issues and asked the organisation to seek a no objection from NN24 as the original producers. The organisation approached NN24, issued a no objection for the SfN to use the debate or its component parts on other media.

However, when SfN again approached NTA with the commercial on Monday, the NTA again turned it down. This time, they suggested to the Shekarau campaign organisation to arrange opportunity for NTA cameramen to visit and record Mallam Shekarau themselves, which the SfN rejected.
“The SfN feels very strongly that NTA’s attitude negates all principles of fair play and is clearly aimed at denying an opposition candidate equal rights to its airwaves, despite paying for same,” it said.
This is against all the rules of the game set by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), which the SfN is approaching for redress.

Meanwhile, Mallam’s “Six Characteristics of Good Governance” is running in the daily newspapers, and shall soon hit other, non-NTA, television stations across the country.
Dr. Muhammad Sani Bello
Director General

-Sunwp_posts