Broadcasting
2023 Presidential Elections; Ositelu Unveils Recipe for Good Governance, Democratic Dividends
Isaac Babatunde Ositelu, a former Presidential Candidate in the 2019 general election, has admonished Nigerians not to lose hope in the transformation of the country to a greater Republic.
Speaking against the backdrop of the current economic doldrums, pervasive insecurity, religious strife and political upheavals, he assured that Nigeria will surely evolve out of the ashes of the current travails ravaging the nation and its citizens.
In a Press Statement issued over the weekend, Ositelu, a Project Manager/Businessman, urged Nigerians to put behind them the disappointments of their recent political experiences and get prepared for the transition in 2023.
He said that the citizens themselves have pivotal roles to play in getting Nigeria back on track as a nation to earn global respect and honour.
Ositelu said that the citizens must be actively involved in the decision making processes by registering and obtaining their Permanent Voter Card (PVC), protect it jealously and ensured that their future is not mortgaged through fraudulent disenfranchisement by politicians who will offer peanuts in exchange for their PVC for electoral frauds.
The astute political tactician called on the Youths and Women to take their pride of place in the political terrain by making their numbers count.
He said that the Youths and Women should no longer accept to be willing tools in the hands of incredible politicians whose only interest is to use and dump them.
He called on the Youths and Women to play more active and leadership roles in the governance structures at the local government, state and federal levels in Nigeria.
He said that the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the political parties and other stakeholders in the electoral processes must heighten the public enlightenment campaigns on the virtues of citizens’ active and positive involvement in the election of leaders that would serve the overall good interest of the country and its citizens.
The Presidential candidate, who first made his foray into Presidential race in 2015, said that in order to rescue the citizens from the perpetual master-slave strangle hold of the very manipulative politicians, sound voter education must be carefully planned and integrated into the electoral mobilisation from the wards to the constituencies.
Commenting on the controversies trailing the electoral bill, among other provisions in the bill, he said that the lawmakers should give pre-eminence for independent candidacy in order for the nation’s electoral and democratic practices to align with global best practices.
He said that Nigerians must look beyond party politics in electing leaders since most of the current political parties have betrayed the trust of the electorates.
He said that as a tested professional in his Engineering field, he is prepared to fill the leadership gap bedevilling the nation by providing reliable, trusted and tested leadership for Nigerians home and abroad.
According to him, sincerity of purpose, fear of God, intelligence, discipline, astute leadership, hard work, dedication and commitment to governance structure are the necessary virtues required to lift Nigeria out of the socio-economic and political mayhem.
Ositelu said that Nigeria is one of the countries with highest resources across natural deposits, human capital and natural talents as well as political wisdom. With diversity of its resource base, large expanse of land and body of water and skilful labour and talents in different fields of human endeavours, he said that Nigeria has no business struggling to stay afloat in its economic performances and political stability.
He enjoined Nigerians to use the 2023 elections as a test case for its political maturity.
According to him, the outcome of the 2023 general elections would redefine the readiness of Nigeria to free itself from the shackles of politicians’ rape on its democracy.
Ositelu promise to give the leadership that will make Nigeria the global template for good governance and democratic principles
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are set to introduce a joint broadcast monitoring framework ahead of the 2027 general elections as part of efforts to curb unethical broadcasting and promote responsible election coverage.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, who disclosed the plan recently, said the collaboration would strengthen election monitoring through the deployment of advanced technology and closer coordination between regulatory agencies.
According to him, the increasing influence of digital and online platforms has made it imperative for regulators to work together rather than operate independently.
“We have written to INEC, and we are going to have a joint monitoring outlook over the elections. Gone are the days when agencies work in silos. When we coordinate, we’re able to monitor more effectively,” Ebuebu said.
He explained that the partnership would enable both agencies to jointly identify and address violations of broadcasting regulations during the election period instead of handling such issues separately.
Beyond INEC, Ebuebu said the NBC is also partnering with other key regulators to strengthen oversight of election-related content across digital platforms.
According to him, the commission is finalising agreements with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) ahead of the polls to reinforce its monitoring capabilities.
“We are calling in other stakeholders to reinforce the election monitoring. We are signing agreements with the Nigerian Communications Commission and the National Information Technology Development Agency before the elections,” he said.
Ebuebu also revealed that the NBC is upgrading its monitoring infrastructure with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools to keep pace with the rapidly expanding media landscape.
He noted that the proliferation of online platforms has made traditional monitoring methods inadequate.
“With online platforms, there are thousands of them. You need more than staff; you need AI monitoring facilities,” he said.
The NBC chief added that the commission has significantly improved its monitoring capacity and can currently track nearly 50 broadcast channels from its monitoring centre in Abuja.
He said additional monitoring facilities would be established across the country in line with evolving broadcasting technologies.As part of preparations for the 2027 elections, Ebuebu announced plans for a sensitisation workshop in Ibadan that will bring together broadcasters, INEC officials, security agencies and other stakeholders.
He said the engagement had become necessary as political discussions surrounding elections continue to grow more heated, including on television, stressing the need for broadcasters to adhere to professional standards.
Ebuebu noted that the commission has had to issue several warnings to broadcast stations for violating the broadcasting code during election periods.
“We have had to write several of them because they simply forget what the code says,” he said
Mrs. Clementine Wamba, head, Digital Switch Over (DSO) at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has stressed the need for broadcasting stations and practitioners nationwide to work towards meeting the 2028 global deadline for the switch over.
She made the call in her presentation titled, “DSO Big Picture: Free TV Audience Measurement and the Evolving Media Landscape”, at the 2026 NBC South West Summit held in Ibadan.
Wamba harped on the need for practitioners to adopt DSO in the transmission of news and other programmes in order to meet future challenges, stating that any country that fail to align with the DSO by 2028 will be shut out of practice.
This development, according to her, may result in job losses and other consequences that could hinder the growth of the industry in Nigeria, noting that Free TV is tailored towards the DSO, with provision for many channels in contrast to the age-long analogue system.
According to her, “The Digital Switch Over is a technological improvement on the age-long analogue style of broadcasting in the country. With the adoption of the DSO, practitioners will be in tune with global practice of broadcast journalism.
“Also, its benefits include efficient use of spectrum, changing of industry landscape, more access to national development programmes and better viewing experience.”
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that Nigerians will no longer pay annual Digital Access Fees under the renewed Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja,
Ebuebu said viewers only need to purchase an approved decoder and satellite dish which cost below N20,000 to enjoy free television permanently.
“Previously, users paid an annual digital access fee of about N1,500, described as an administrative charge.
“The new system removes that annual fee. It provides free access to free-to-air television channels without any payment.
“Premium channels will be introduced later. Viewers who want those additional channels will be able to access them through paid services.
“Nigerian content on free-to-air channels remains free to watch. Unlike Pay TV, this platform does not require monthly subscriptions for its basic service,” he said
Ebuebu said approved decoders for the FreeTV will cost less than N20,000 and authorised sales outlets will soon be announced.
He urged Nigerians to wait for official information on approved dealers for the DSO decoders, warning that unauthorised sellers are exploiting growing public demand.
He reiterated that people only need a free-to-air decoder, along with a satellite dish instead of the old antenna system to receive the DSO signal.
“Once the equipment is installed, viewers can access all available channels across the country without paying any subscription fees,” he stressed
The DG dismissed claims by some retailers that there are different categories of decoders sold at varying prices, stressing that such sellers are not authorised by the commission.
According to him, the NBC will soon publish the list of approved dealers, official prices, and locations where genuine decoder boxes and accessories can be purchased.
The NBC boss said the DSO project is designed not only to improve television broadcasting but also to stimulate economic growth by creating jobs, attracting investment, and opening up opportunities for businesses that support the broadcasting industry.
Ebuebu noted that content producers and broadcasters stand to benefit significantly from the nationwide reach of the DSO platform.
Unlike the previous system, where many stations had limited regional audiences, he said the new platform will make their channels available to viewers across Nigeria.
He added that the introduction of audience measurement technology will provide scientific and reliable data on television viewership.
Ebuebu added that audience measurement technology will give advertisers greater confidence in placing adverts and enable broadcasters to demonstrate the true size and reach of their audiences nationwide.
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