Those Attacking NBC, NPC Bills Didn’t Show Up During Public Hearing — Lai Mohammed

*Denies Sponsoring Bill To Stifle Nigerian Press

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, has refuted
the claim that the federal government sponsored the bills
purportedly meant to stifle the press.

He said some of those attacking the National Broadcasting
Commission (NBC) and Nigerian Press Council (NPC) bills did not
show up during public hearing on the legislation.

Speaking in an interview with NAN on Friday, Mohammed said the
bills are private member bills sponsored by a lawmaker in the
national assembly.

The bills, sponsored by Olusegun Odebunmi, a lawmaker from Oyo
state, seek to amend the NBC and NPC Acts.

The proposed amendment to the NBC law seeks to put online
broadcasters under the purview of the commission while that of the
NPC seeks “harsh punishment” for defaulting media organisations and
journalists.

Mohammed said those falsely accusing the federal government and
misinforming the public on the bills had a chance to make their
contributions but rather than show up during the public hearing,
they chose to play to the gallery.

“First, let me say how disappointed I am that those who have
been berating me on these bills have been doing so on a false
premise that the federal government had sponsored bills to stifle
the press,” he said.

“It baffles me that those who rushed to the media to slam the
government didn’t even try to verify the facts.

“I was invited, as the minister of information and culture, to
make my contributions, just like many other stakeholders at the
public hearing.

“It was an opportunity for stakeholders to make their input into
the bills. I attended and made my contributions.

“The Nigerian Press Organisation, which represented the Nigerian
Union of Journalists, the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the
Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, appeared there
merely for appearance’s sake.

“Instead of strongly stating their reservations on the bill on
the Nigerian press council, they were more interested in stopping
the hearing, hinging their argument on the case at the supreme
court on the press council.

“It is a shame that some of us love democracy so much but hate
the fine details of democracy and its processes.

“These critics will rather play to the gallery than do the
needful. Why didn’t these critics show up at the much-publicised
public hearing on these bills?

“Why have they, instead, opted to go hysterical in the media and
to point accusing fingers at the federal government as the sponsor
of the bills when indeed that is not true?”

The minister advised the critics of the bills to engage the
chairman of the house of representatives committee on information,
national orientation, ethics and values to convey their
reservations.

He said they should stop engaging in “cheap blackmail and
misinformation”, saying “you cannot like democracy and abhor its
processes”.

*Denies Sponsoring Bill To Stifle Nigerian Press

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, has refuted
the claim that the federal government sponsored the bills
purportedly meant to stifle the press.

He said some of those attacking the National Broadcasting
Commission (NBC) and Nigerian Press Council (NPC) bills did not
show up during public hearing on the legislation.

Speaking in an interview with NAN on Friday, Mohammed said the
bills are private member bills sponsored by a lawmaker in the
national assembly.

The bills, sponsored by Olusegun Odebunmi, a lawmaker from Oyo
state, seek to amend the NBC and NPC Acts.

The proposed amendment to the NBC law seeks to put online
broadcasters under the purview of the commission while that of the
NPC seeks “harsh punishment” for defaulting media organisations and
journalists.

Mohammed said those falsely accusing the federal government and
misinforming the public on the bills had a chance to make their
contributions but rather than show up during the public hearing,
they chose to play to the gallery.

“First, let me say how disappointed I am that those who have
been berating me on these bills have been doing so on a false
premise that the federal government had sponsored bills to stifle
the press,” he said.

“It baffles me that those who rushed to the media to slam the
government didn’t even try to verify the facts.

“I was invited, as the minister of information and culture, to
make my contributions, just like many other stakeholders at the
public hearing.

“It was an opportunity for stakeholders to make their input into
the bills. I attended and made my contributions.

“The Nigerian Press Organisation, which represented the Nigerian
Union of Journalists, the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the
Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, appeared there
merely for appearance’s sake.

“Instead of strongly stating their reservations on the bill on
the Nigerian press council, they were more interested in stopping
the hearing, hinging their argument on the case at the supreme
court on the press council.

“It is a shame that some of us love democracy so much but hate
the fine details of democracy and its processes.

“These critics will rather play to the gallery than do the
needful. Why didn’t these critics show up at the much-publicised
public hearing on these bills?

“Why have they, instead, opted to go hysterical in the media and
to point accusing fingers at the federal government as the sponsor
of the bills when indeed that is not true?”

The minister advised the critics of the bills to engage the
chairman of the house of representatives committee on information,
national orientation, ethics and values to convey their
reservations.

He said they should stop engaging in “cheap blackmail and
misinformation”, saying “you cannot like democracy and abhor its
processes”.