The statement titled,
“Restriction on broadcasting ‘Tell Your Papa’ by Eedris Abdulkareem,” reads,
“The National Broadcasting Commission has identified the song ‘Tell Your Papa’
by Eedris Abdulkareem, currently trending on social media, as content deemed
inappropriate for broadcast due to its objectionable nature”.
The ban which was
issued in a memo dated April 9, 2025 by the Coordinating Director of Broadcast
Monitoring, Susan Obi, the commission declared the song “Not To Be Broadcast”
under Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code has raised much dust and
invited lot of criticism from scholars and bodies of agencies like; Prof. Wole
Soyinka, PMAN, MRA and so on.
The Performing
Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) has voiced strong objections to the
National Broadcasting Commission’s ban on rapper Eedris Abdulkareem’s trending
song, “Tell Your Papa.”
In a press release
dated April 13, 2025, Prof. Wole Soyinka described the action by NBC as a
return to censorship in Nigeria, adding that abuse of fundamental rights is no
longer a closet affair but one that attracts international limelight in the
present day. “The ban is a boost to the artist’s nest egg, thanks to free
governmental promotion. Mr. Abdulkareem must be currently warbling his merry
way all the way to the bank. I envy
him,” he stated.
He further stressed
that; “any government that is tolerant only of yes-men and women, which
accommodates only praise-singers and dancers to the official beat, has already
commenced a downhill slide into the abyss. Whatever regulating body is
responsible for this petulant irrationality should be compelled to reverse its
misstep”.
In an interview with
The PUNCH on Thursday 10th April, the PMAN President, Pretty Okafor, in his
words, he stated that, “the first major mistake is banning the song because
it’s going to make the song even go viral right now. Those who haven’t heard
about the song or haven’t even listened to it will go now to look for the song
and will start promoting it. The song has practically pinched the government
somewhere, that’s why they ordered for the ban. So, there is already a mistake
that has been made by the NBC or even the government by paying attention to
that particular song.” On regarding PMAN’s stands on the matter, the president
commended, “We don’t have the power to offer the artiste support right now
because it is a very sensitive issue, so, we need to be careful. We will just
be watching because people are dying and the suffering is too much. How do we
repair the economy? We cannot pretend that all is well. The song is telling us
the truth, and there is nothing wrong with that song.”
In another view, Media
Rights Agenda (MRA) condemned the ban. In a statement on Friday 11th
April by Ayomide Eweje, MRA’s programme officer, he opined that; “Such actions
violate Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees the
right to freedom of expression, and undermine Nigeria’s obligations under
international human rights instruments, including Article 9 of the African
Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” The rights group said artists have the
right to criticise governance and thereby raising awareness through their works,
and urge the NBC to operate within legal boundaries.
The Chairman of the
Guild of Public Affairs Analysts of Nigeria, Enugu State Chapter, Dr Ambrose
Igboke, stated that the ban on Eedris Abdulkareem’s song suggests that the NBC
has little work to do. He alleged that: “President Tinubu himself might just
laugh off the music, but the NBC will, rather, play the role of an eye service.
Has the NBC tackled the massive indecency in music and movies that are on our
airwaves? Has the regulatory body done anything about the fallen standards of
broadcasting in Nigeria, where many presenters and newscasters struggle to
pronounce simple words, Nigerian names, and even coherent sentences? The NBC
should spare Nigeria this sycophancy.”
A civil society
organisation operating under the umbrella of Global Rights Nigeria also strongly
condemned the ban. A statement by Programme Officer, Civic Space, Global
Rights, Damilola Decker, stated that this action represents yet another
disgraceful and deeply troubling assault on freedom of expression, one of the
cornerstones of any genuine democracy.
The whole critique on
the actions of NBC towards the Eedris Abdulkareem’s song, “Tell Your Papa” saga agreed on one general view, that is, the ban only succeeds in making the song
more popular on all social media platforms.
Credit: The Cable/The PUNCH/This Day Live
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