The Northern Broadcast Media Owners Association (NBMOA) has expressed concern over the illegal use of the Arewa symbol by some foreigners “to exploit and monopolise” the commercial broadcast media advertising space of the Hausa speaking populace, cultures and ideals by ‘self claiming jingles’.
They, however, noted that the action is bastardizing the ‘AREWA KNOT’, an emotive symbol of Northern Nigerian adopted by Sir Alhaji Ahmadu Bello (Sardauna of Sokoto) as a political identity.
NBMOA in a letter of complaint to the federal government signed by Dr. Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan for the Board of Trustee and made available to Daily Trust urged the Minister of Information and National Orientation to consider, facilitate and direct 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.
He however urged 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.
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He also appealed to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to stop Network Arewa 24 Limited from monopolizing consumer rights in the Media Industry in Nigeria.
He noted that the AREWA symbol was adopted in the 1950’s when Nigeria was preparing for political and economic independence from Britain.
He added, “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 profound knowledge and insight of Arewa Cultures and ideals whatsoever thereby doing things that is 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. Jacub Arback, Ms. Ronni Goldfarb, Mr. Graham Couturier and Mr. Celestine Umeibe are the Founding Shareholders of the aforementioned company who 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 must be obtained aside from registering with the Corporate Affairs Commission e.g NBC, ARCON etc.
“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.”
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