A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered status quo on the withdrawal of operating license of the Daar Communications PLC over alleged breach of the broadcasting code.
According to Dailytrust, Justice Inyang Ekwo on Friday ordered the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, the Attorney General of the Federation to appear on Thursday, June 13 to show cause why the motion on notice challenging the action of the regulatory agency should not be granted.
The order followed an ex parte application by Daar Communication lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN.
Recall that NBC had on Thursday withdrew the operation license of Daar PLC operators of African Independent Television (AIT), Raypower FM, Faaji FM and Daarsat following allegation of breach of code of conduct. Specifically, the NBC in a letter to organization had accused it of breaching the Nigeria’s Broadcasting Code with its Kakaaki and other programmes.
Daar had since claimed that its operations are in line with Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution and consequently asked the court to “restrain the defendants from blocking, jamming, stopping removing from air and/or interfering with the air waves of the plaintiff/applicant (Daar Plc) in any way and manner howsoever called from invading the premises of the plaintiff/applicant (Daar Plc) or closing down, viet armis, the said premises, its operations or broadcast services, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed along with this application.”
The matter is billed to be heard on June 13.