Afia TV, a Disgrace to Journalism: NBC, Take Note and Call Afia TV to Order
By Eze Nwamadi, Ogbonna Asadu and Ezema Igwenunu
Afia TV as a new station came into public consciousness within the Enugu circle few months ago, especially during the announcement of the March 18 Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Enugu State. The station did a live streaming of the collation of the results at INEC Collation Centre, Independence Layout Enugu. Besides that, the television outfit was relatively unknown.
While Ndi Enugu were glad to watch the collation process via Afia TV, the station messed itself up by the brand of reportage full of bias it adopted in favour of Labour Party. The collation process was halted for three days to enable INEC to review the results following allegations of rigging at Nsukka and Nkanu East local governments. Supporters of the PDP and Labour Party filed out to different areas close to INEC office in Independence Layout, protesting the delay in the announcement of the governorship result which had already been collated.
The PDP supporters took a position at WAEC Junction, Independence Layout, protesting the delay and asking INEC to declared Peter Ndubuisi Mbah the winner for having polled the highest number of votes. A handful of Labour Party supporters took a position at the Agric Bank end, alleging over voting in Nkanu East,and asking INEC to declare Edeoga the winner.
Afia TV completely ignored the thousands of PDP protesters at WAEC Junction and focused on Labour Party protesters, over-hyping their protest and projecting their unfounded claims. It took the intervention of Chief Nnolim Nnaji who reportedly put a call to the owner of the station asking why the TV should brazenly engage in biased reportage of the events before Afia TV reluctantly captured the PDP protesters and interviewed Reuben Onyishi and Chief Nana Ogbodo. Afia TV glibly showed the PDP supporters’ protests and reverted to the few Labour Party protesters at Agric Bank, making it look as though theirs was more important and news worthy than that of the PDP.
The elections are over, but Afia TV has yet to be done with the hatchet job of heating up the Enugu polity with its unconscionable advancement of the failed candidacy of Chijioke Edeoga. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah has emerged the governor-elect of Enugu State, waiting to be sworn in on 29th May, 2023. Chijioke Edeoga who came second in the election has already gone to court. One therefore expects that the matter be left for the court to decide. Edeoga has however employed all manner of shenanigans, propaganda and media sensationalism in order to bias the mind of the judges of the tribunal and the general public by his continued hawking of lies and claims to victory against the declaration of the statutory authority as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as he is being aided by Afia TV. Afia TV has yielded itself to such demeaning task of hyping Edeoga’s claims and helping him to continue to heat up the Enugu polity with a matter in court which should be sub judice. Afia TV was reportedly paid by Edeoga and his godfathers to toe this path of shame and irresponsible broadcasting.
Afia TV has scheduled an interview with Edeoga today, being 26th April, 2023, by 4pm in order to continue to advance Edeoga’s unfounded claims to victory and stolen mandate which has no basis, except its provenance in desperation and overambition. One wonders what could be the interest of Afia TV in its continue biased, unprofessional and non-objective aiding and abetting of Edeoga’s contempt of the court.
We therefore call on National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to call this neophytic and corrupt media outfit, the so-called Afia TV, to order. The interview with Edeoga has no basis. The electoral matter is already in court. Afia TV has no reason to continue to unleash unnecessary media heist on Enugu State. The elections are over. No one is campaigning again and those who felt uncomfortable with the outcome are in court. Edeoga is not the only one who has filed a petition at the tribunal, yet he is the only one using the media to distract the tribunal and disturb the peace of the people of Enugu State who had expressed their choice of Peter Mbah at the concluded governorship polls.
Going this way, it is clear that Afia TV will not go far. It has no sense of objective journalism and has at this early stage of its being taken to filthy lucre as a pattern of its journalism. It is a shame! We hope NBC will do the needful and save the public the broadcasting rascality and nuisance called Afia TV.
