According to social media users, there are indications that the Lagos State Government through one of its Local Government Development Council’s Internally Generated Revenue offices (LGDC IGR), may be levying its residents for radio/TV licenses.
According to a tweet by a user on a popular social media platform, Twitter, the IGR office has issued a notice to residents in a particular local government of the state to pay for using their TV or radio sets or face being sued and sealed off consequently.
In a telephone chat with one Taiwo Adeniyi, whose contact was pasted on the notice as a representative of the IGR office, he noted that the levy was in accordance with a Lagos state bye-law which mandated residents in such areas to pay for the use of appliances like TVs, radios and others.
According to him, individuals are expected to pay a sum of N1,250 yearly based on the appliances in use in their homes.
He mentioned, however, that although the bye-law had been stopped in 2015, the law is being revisited to raise funds for the Local Government, and anyone could walk into the Local Council office to gain clarification on the authenticity of the bye-law.
Read also: NBC revokes licenses of AIT, Silverbird and 50 other radio & TV stations
What does the NCC guideline say?
According to NCC guidelines, section 4.3 on short-range devices, users of Short Range Devices are not required to obtain a license, but all such devices will require necessary type approval by the Commission to ensure that it performs within the acceptable range.
Much of the requirements requires payments mostly from the manufacturers of such products or importers, who are expected to comply with the specifications and directives of the NCC in the sale and production of the devices.
It remains to be seen the scope of the applicability of this bye-law or even the legality or basis upon which it was made and being implemented, seeing that most Nigerians are not even aware that it exists in the first place and the regulatory guideline for TV and radio ownership does not cover it.
Nigerians react to the new TV license regime
The response of many citizens on the social media space to the news is mostly shock and a bit of jest to Nigerians who are unaware of such TV and radio licenses laws or even bye-laws on personal residents to obtain licenses before owning TVs in their homes.
A particular user expressed his shock to the development, and stated that such law, if true was wild…
Others users were not even sure about the interpretation and applicability of the notice which was served to the residents mandating them to pay for the licenses to own and operate a TV in their personal homes.
Popular Twitter Influencer, Rinu Oduala expressed her confusion as to what the notice was all about and asked any lawyer on the timeline who understood the content to please present clarity on it…
Many Nigerians have expressed their dissatisfaction and shock about the notice and rule if it were truly in effect nd operation in the state. Many of such responses can be seen below:
Although not confirmed, a particular Twitter user mentioned that such a law had already been in operation in another Local Government of the state for a long time now,
Recently, The Nigerian government through the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) revoked the broadcast licenses of over 50 television and radio stations, including Africa Independent Television (AIT), Raypower FM, Silverbird television, and Rhythm FM among other media houses.
This was however due to the failure of these media houses to renew their TV licenses.
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