By Chuks Ordi
The Nigeria apex broadcasting commission, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has shaken itself into activity by swiftly moving in with cudgels to ban a song. Some communication experts have been debating this action with a view to see if the ban merits the effort .
Some said it is good because of what they termed NTBB: “not to be broadcast.” To them, the song is said to contain vulgarities against the ethics of good listenership.
But it is good for us to reason the action of the NBC in another form. There are some actions carried out that could reflect negativities, or best put it, counter productive. I did not know of this said music nor heard or had an inkling about its existence until the NBC’s “over zealous” response and the noise of the backlash it generated .
If you check the rate of the music download before and after, you could see that the download after the hammer skyrocketed.
If the Commission has ignored it, it would just slighter off into oblivion with no one to talk or hype about the legality or illegality of the music.
But if one listens to the lyrics of the hit music, to me, it’s just the normal Nigerian pedestrian social criticism we all often hear. There is nothing obscene, vulgar or even illicit in its urbane sense.
Banning Mr. Kareem’s hit song does not add up. It is paranormal to gas light a brand, someone that can pass as a country’s Ambassador before international communities . It bespeaks of gag to the freedom of speech of an individual.
The ban has triggered spate of spiraling new media circulation. The song is even said to be evolving into different form of AI polemic plastic art creation that is even looking more poignant or even grueling to the sensibilities of viewers.
There is something substantially wrong in the way Nigeria governance is run. It did not start with this present leadership. Eye-service and fraternity are bugging deeper and deeper into good governance to stain it. It may mean the consequences of nepotism, religious and tribal zealotry incursion into our national consciousness.
Many questions are raised. Since when does this country try to respond to issues speedily?
Is it not the same country where humongous corruption is going on nonstop? Is it not the same country where assassins and murderers are having a field day? Is it not the same country where ineptitude and insecurity are riotously decimating our national values? Why has there been no swift response, at the speed that equals that Kareem’s song ban?
We are among the highest countries that spend the highest in electricity but there is still darkness. Now, to buy data that last for one month in Nigeria, one has to spend about 30,000 Naira or more. For one to subscribe for a satellite television that give one current news, we have to pay too much money.
During the Buhari’s administration, Free TV for all Nigerians were canvassed and actually floated. But where is the Free TV now? Foreign Television broadcasters are milking Nigerians dry. When you subscribe for a month and you travel or there is no light in your tour house, it would expire and you then renew your subscription for another month.
Such system does not happen in their country of origin. All this is happening before this “hardworking NBC.” What has the commission done to satisfy the citizens in area of television viewership ? Nothing. Everyone is just sitting down and receiving salary. We the citizens are molested in all angles. We are tired of complaints.
Nigeria is bleeding. Rwanda passed this road before genocide that claimed the lives of almost 800,000 citizens taught them a bitter lesson. But now they are quiet and penitent.
It is difficult to beat a child and still stop him from crying. Wisdom is what we need.
