Liberty Radio Kaduna Fined For Airing Phone Call Condemning Good Governance Tour

The growing assault on free speech in Nigeria took another dimension on Friday as Kaduna-based Liberty Radio FM was slammed with a hefty N2 million fine over a phone-in discussion programme.

The station’s ‘crime’? It aired a live comment by a caller who objected to the planned visit of the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, to the state. The caller suggested that the governor of Kaduna State spend the N150 million it cost to host the Minister’s so-called "Good Governance Tour" on more meaningful things. 

In addition to the fine, Liberty Radio FM was also asked to feature the Minister as a guest.

The popular station, it would be recalled, also recently interviewed the governor of Niger State, Governor Aliyu Babangida, who declared categorically on air that President Goodluck Jonathan did sign an agreement with governors of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2011 to spend only one term in office.

A source at the station told SaharaReporters that they have received up to 15 letters querying their broadcast from the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC), a body set up under military dictator Ibrahim Babangida to censor electronic broadcasts in the country.

The attention to the station culminated in the letter received on Friday announcing it has been slammed with the fine over the comment by the caller on a live Hausa programme - "InA Dalili."  The letter demanding payment of the fine was backdated to April 4, 2013.

Last week, the police in Abuja, at the instance of Mr. Jonathan, illegally detained four journalists of Leadership newspaper for a story about a “presidential directive” aimed at muzzling opposition in the country.  
Despite his increasingly unproductive government, Mr. Jonathan wants to run for president again in 2011.

Source: http://saharareporters.com/news-page/liberty-radio-fm-kaduna-fined-14000-airing-phone-call-condemning-good-governance-tour

Same happened to wazobia fm Kano. What ever happened to press freedom. GEJ is becomin more dictatorial by the day

Guess Mr Jona's gradually trying to be less softer these days, perhaps having been accused of being too weak. Wish he'd channel that strictness to the Boko boys.

Akshow: Same happened to wazobia fm Kano. What ever happened to press freedom. GEJ is becomin more dictatorial by the day

The beginning of the end of our so called democracy.

Wait.......ok..........reserved. ONPE!

Haa dis is getting serious or dont we have freedom of opinion again in nigeria or why does d radio station have to be fined over a caller's comment isnt dis insane so much for d press freedom dis makes me remember amaechi's speech dat we are going back to dictators regime so we all have to watch our comment now maybe next will be nairaland smh

No more Freedom of Speech. Na only GOD go help us all.

nigeria jaga jaga

Fine ke? Dem for kuku close the boko haram radio pata pata!
Mtcheeeeeeeeeeeeew!

What then is democracy when there is no freedom of speech

Freedom of the press you say, Is the press really free? Though its a little bit better than the military regimes, but in actual fact, the govt still controls them. Just because a radio station aired "someone's opinion about govt's activity is enough for a fine! Whatever happened to the freedom of information (FOI) ACT??

simon gonner: nigeria jaga jaga

simon gonner: nigeria jaga jaga

simon gonner: nigeria jaga jaga

Na hausa piple make nig jaga jaga

No more press freedom....too bad

KingPradas: Without freedom of speech there is no democracy.

there is fine line btw freedom of speech and freedom of movement. Besides we are talking about govt biz here. Simply put: owner of radio should be charged for treason.

simon gonner: nigeria jaga jaga

Everytin scatter scatter, poor man dey suffer suffer, BOOM!! BOOOM!!!! Bomb blast everywhere in da north

A welcome development i must say. When it comes to the issue of media tolerance i think gej should be commended. In this country there is no difference between freedom of speech and character deformation.

WTF 150million ke? Good governance tour ma foot mtchewww

This not reasonable to me ...

mindtricks: Guess Mr Jona's gradually trying to be less softer these days, perhaps having been accused of being too weak. Wish he'd channel that strictness to the Boko boys.

Wat type of foolish strictness r u referin to, he is bn simply stupid n turnin to a dictator...yet som hell bound paid supporters of his ll say he deserve anoda term to milk d masses dry n turn Nigeria into a failed state Wtout direction. May GOd punish him n evil supporters, d pains GEJ n his govt r inflicting on Nigerians r enuf 4 God to kill him b4 2015, a drunkard n power intoxicated slowpoke.

We do not have good governance or good infrastructure. The only good thing in Nigeria democracy used to be freedom of speech. Now, they want to take the freedom of speech from us too. They do not know that giving people an outlet to air their annoyance helps to diffuse tension.

When you gag the people and also govern them badly, you are asking for a sponteneous explosion in the not too distant future.

Liberty FM should take the NBC to court so as not to set a bad precedence for government. We really should challenge such rubbish in court instead of bending over for FG to ravage our behinds. Shey you saw how Unilag managed to fight FG to stand still on the renaming issue? dont speak plenty english, go to court.

Akshow: Same happened to wazobia fm Kano. What ever happened to press freedom. GEJ is becomin more dictatorial by the day

na so bully all over the world dey behave

It isn't surprising that there are people who actuali believe this STORI from Sahara Reporters: that a TV station was fined JUST cos a Caller talkd against d Good Governance Tour!!! And this from an Admin that has toleratd All manner of people, including known IJIOTS?? COME ON!......... By d way, is d new Line; He is a 'Dictator', and no longer, He is 'Weak'. The PROPAGANDISTS shld mk up dier minds, abeg..

ypzilanti: We do not have good governance or good infrastructure. The only good thing in Nigeria democracy used to be freedom of speech. Now, they want to take the freedom of speech from us too. They do not know that giving people an outlet to air their annoyance helps to diffuse tension.

When you gag the people and also govern them badly, you are asking for a sponteneous explosion in the not too distant future.

Liberty FM should take the NBC to court so as not to set a bad precedence for government. We really should challenge such rubbish in court instead of bending over for FG to ravage our behinds. Shey you saw how Unilag managed to fight FG to stand still on the renaming issue? dont speak plenty english, go to court.

do we really have courts and justice in Nigeria?my brother all na paddy paddy,we don enter one chance

Profidada: A welcome development i must say. When it comes to the issue of media tolerance i think gej should be commended. In this country there is no difference between freedom of speech and character deformation.

Did you go to school at all?

So we cannot call radio stations to criticize government incompetence anymore? In a so called democracy? Government has all the means to spread their propoganda at the expense of the tax payers. They have NTA, Radio Nigeria, NOA, Abati and Okupe, yet they are afraid of common men who call radio stations to air their grievances? If they have to start fining private stations and arresting individuals without charging them, they should scrap all the media that FG controls and sack Okupe and Abati. The balance between the common man's access to media versus that of government is David versus Goliath, and yet Goliath is trembling...please tell us why.

that's why I like America

IYA NGBALI: do we really have courts and justice in Nigeria?my brother all na paddy paddy,we don enter one chance

My brother, going to court serves the purpose of delaying execution of government directive until court process is completed. It also brings more unfavorable media attention to the case. For instance, while the case is going on, foriegn media gets interested and civil society groups can use the case to embarass government. But if you pay the fine, you embolden wannabe dictators and their toy soldiers in the government agencies.

Nigeria my country i hail thee....we'll get there one day.

Why am I not surprised?
They are getting desperate !
And I must confess, it will go from bad to worse!
The gagging of the people is the first step, very soon they will soon be knocking on nairalanders door for anti government posts.
You all are welcome to FRESH AIR

Arrogance, rudeness and tyranny is a weak man's imitation of strength.
Mr president, ur advisers are misleading u