Group under the auspices of Northern Broadcast Media Owners have petition the Federal Government over the monopoly of unlicensed Network Arewa 24 and Lence 54 LL.
A statement signed by Dr. Ahmed Tijani Ramalan for the Board of Trustee says “the Ownership Structure under the SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT OF NETWORK AREWA24 LIMITED is crystal clear that all the founding Shareholders are not Hausas thereby have no any profoundly knowledge and insight of Arewa Cultures and ideals whatsoever thereby doing things that are in contradiction with their cultures and believes, be that as it may, the lingua franca in which all broadcasting activities of the said company will be conducted in its object clause is in the Hausa Language devoid of any other language in Nigeria; Mr. Jacob Arback, Ms. Ronni Goldfarb, Mr. Graham Couturier and Mr. Celestine Umeibe are the Founding Shareholders of the aforementioned company whom are apparently not Hausas.
“The Northern Broadcast Media Owners Association (NBMOA) which is a platform of NBC Licensee Broadcast Media Stations Owners hereby forward this complaint to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) against the AREWA 24 TV Channel. We verily believe that Network AREWA 24 Limited is hitherto yet to be registered by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). To satisfy the requirements of operating a broadcasting business in Nigeria, approvals from several other agencies and commissions most be obtained aside registering with Corporate Affairs Commission e.g NBC, ARCON etc. ”
Northern Broadcast Media Owners Association maintained that the founding Shareholders and Directors of the Network Arewa24 Limited are foreign persons based in the United States and some Nigerian Proxies who are Illegally Using and Bastardizing the name and Brand “AREWA” in Exploitation and Monopolizing the Commercial Broadcast Media Advertising Space of the Hausa speaking populace’s cultures and ideals by Self Claiming Jingles and Bastardizing the AREWA KNOT an emotive symbol of Northern Nigerian adopted by Sir Alhaji Ahmadu Bello (Sardauna of Sokoto) as a political identity. The symbol was adopted in the 1950s when Nigeria were preparing for political and economic independence from Britain.
“The provisions of Chapter 2 Items 2.0.1 & 2.0.2 of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code (6th Edition 2016) provides as follows;
“it shall be illegal for any person to operate or use any apparatus or premises for transmission of sound or vision by cable, television, satellite or other mediums of broadcasting from anywhere in Nigeria, unless licensed by the commission”
“In the light of the above cited provision of the NBC Code supra, we submit that Network Arewa24 Limited has under the disguise of a benevolent broadcasting outlet being operating illegally in Nigeria contrary to the Constituted Laws and Codes.
“Similarly, Network Arewa24 Limited has equally breached the following clauses under the NBC codes to wit Chapter 7 items 7.0, 7.0.2. k,I,n,o;-
1. Breaches in the rules as related to broadcast and monopoly of Commercial Broadcast Media and advertisements in Northern Nigeria.
2. Their broadcast and Commercial advertisements are against the targeted audience (Hausa Speaking Audience in particular)
3. Their contents as regarding broadcasting is mostly contrary to the provisions of the NBC and the Hausa Cultural and Religious Values.
Surface it to say at this juncture that the above listed does not only violates the provisions of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code but also the clear provisions of Section 22 (1,2,3,4,5 & 6) of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act 2022.
It called on the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation to consider, facilitate and direct the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) to act on the prayers hereby contained.
“The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to stop Network Arewa 24 Limited from Monopolizing consumer right in the Media Industry in Nigeria.
“The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to ban Network Arewa 24 Limited from Broadcasting in Nigeria as it contravenes the Nigeria Broadcasting Code (6th Edition 2016) being an unregistered Television Station.
“The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) to ban Network Arewa 24 Limited being an unlicensed TV Channel from Airing Advertisements on Nigeria Pay Cable/Satellite Bouquets in Nigeria. ” It stressed
