Our attention has been drawn to the statementcredited toMallam Garba Shehu at the Red Summit Media Eventthatwas held on Thursday Oct 15, 2015, claiming that there was maltreatmentof the Presidential Campaigns of the All ProgressivesCongress Party (APC)by both NTA and our Television Station- Africa Independent Television (AIT)during the 2015PresidentialCampaigns.

Much as we had resolved to maintain a dignified silence on this matter, in the interest ofourcollectivecivicduty and responsibility to our dearCountry,the broadcast sector that we have played a pioneering role in since our debut into the sector, the entrenchment of independent broadcasting and the several cum selfless patriotic roles that we have diligently and repeatedly undertaken for and on behalf of the good people of Nigeria which amongst others is the protection of the democracy that we are all enjoying since the returnof the countryto democratic governance,we are compelled to address these claims.

That DAAR Communications PLC was at the forefront of the struggle for the enthronement andprotection of Democracy in Nigeria is indeed an incontrovertible fact. That as an Organisation,we patriotically deployedall ourresources to the struggle which haveresulted in the loss and destructionof our stations,transmitters,equipment and facilities to mysterious fire, physical attacks and the clamping down on some of our Staff in the course of discharging theirprofessionalduties, are all political/historical facts which havebeen appropriately documented by Scholars and a common knowledge of Nigerians who were witnesses to the aberration perpetuatedduring the military rule in the country.

In all of those trying times we remained resolute and kept our eyes on the goal with the belief that in the end, the success of democratic rulewould be worth the challenges we faced.Thankfully,Nigeria is now a democratic nation havingsucceeded in the democratic handover of powerfrom the Military,through several civilian to civilian governments and from aruling party to an opposition party, the first time in our history.

It is however, not yet Uhuru. Democracy includes the rightof thecitizens to fairly air their views on any issues as long as they are within theconfines of thelaws of the land and provides for equal opportunity for all views irrespective of religious,ethnicor politicaldifferencesand as an Organisation which values the tenets of democracy, we strive, always, to protect the rights of ALL citizens at all times.

As abroadcast Organisation, we have much more at stake than any politicianandadministrationwhose tenure, by our laws,is time/term based while our role, duty and responsibility is by the grace of God; timeless!

With the foregoing, it is pertinent to respond to Mallam Garba Shehu’s claims.

On theallegationof maltreatment through the rejection and denial of political campaign space on our Station, we wish to state categorically andemphaticallythat at no time did we rejector deny the Presidential Candidate of the All ProgressivesCongress(APC)broadcast space on our Station – Africa Independent Television (AIT).Ithas always been our policy to open up the democratic space to allthe broad spectrum of actors in thepoliticalhorizon.

For the benefit of discerning members of the public and political academics who will obviously document some facts for historical purposes and the stock of public information compendium, we hereby challenge Mallam Garba Shehu to:

1.State the names of the Officer(s)/Department(s)that he dealt with whereinthematerials that he wanted aired wereoutrightlyrejected.

2.The Officer(s) that returned the moniesfor the commercials that he claimed were rejected.

Forthe benefits of the Institution of the State; the Presidency, National Assembly, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Broadcast Stakeholders,Historyand Political Scholars andindeedthe general public,we are compelled to state theunder listedfacts herein:

1.As a broadcast Organisation we are guided by the provisions of theNigerianBroadcast Code and our entire operational modusoperandiis based on the provisions of the code.

2.We subscribe to the laws of the land asenshrinedin the1999Constitution of the FederalRepublic of Nigeria as amended, and otherActs of the National Assembly.

3.We are guided by the tenets of mediapracticewhichare professionalism, fairness, objectivity and balanceirrespectiveof political affiliation.

4.At the beginning of the electioneering process meant to herald the 2015 Elections and as has been our practice since 1999,

a.We opened our Stationsto all the contesting political parties and theirrespectivecandidates onall ourbroadcastplatforms;RayPower FM, Faaji FM and Africa Independent Television (AIT).

b.We gave all the Candidatesthe opportunity to espouse their political programmes on dedicated programmes on all our platforms free of charge.

5.Inthecourse of appraisingthemedia bookingsby all the political players, we realized that between the two major political parties, the All ProgressivesCongress (APC)’smedia bookingswere rather low. Without prompting, we constituteda marketing committeedeliberatelyfor the All ProgressivesCongress(APC) headed byourownHajia Nafisat Aliu.

In accordance with the ethics of our business;media bookings, the terms of the contract, the discount offered amongstothers are usually contractual obligations whichare sacrosanctand exclusive only to the parties involved but if and when the need arises, we are willing and ready to tender all the contract documents to the public for their information and knowledge. We feelpained,disappointed and betrayed by the allegation of maltreatment of All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaigns by Mallam Garba Shehu who at various timesrequested for unusual discounts andconcessions, at short notices,which weoftenobligedin our spirited efforts of ensuring that we engaged all political parties;mostespecially the All ProgressivesCongress (APC) in our broadcasts so thatwe would beto all parties.

Inconclusion, we wish to state thattheElections have been won and lost and asan Organisation we are focused on continuing to build and develop our great nation. Wehaveextendingourpatriotic handsof fellowship to allthe political actorsand indeedeveryone topull together for the sake of our dearly beloved Nation–Nigeria.This, is the globalbestpractice, after Elections and the attendant politics, national interest takes the centre-stage.

For the benefit of Mallam Garba Shehu, hisPrincipalin theAll Progressives Congress(APC)is now our dear President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR. This is the time to join hands with all well meaning Nigerians to partner with the new administration, remember them in our individual and collective prayers,and supportthe administrationto succeed.The task ahead of this Government is enormous and it therefore cannot afford any form of distraction.

The success of this administration and indeed any administration, as government is a continuum, is the success of all Nigerians. The future of our children dependson the success of this and all administrations which are saddled to lead Nigeria.

•Being text of a statement by the Management of DAAR Communications issued yesterday in Abuja. Photo shows Garba Shehu.