The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has disagreed with the claim that the Federal Government sponsored the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Nigerian Press Council (NPC) bills are meant to suppress the press.
Mohammed said some of the persons that attacked the NBC and NPC bills did not show up during public hearing on the legislation.
He revealed this while speaking in an interview with the National Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Mohammed said the bills are private member bills sponsored by a lawmaker in the national assembly.
Olusegun Odebunmi, a lawmaker from Oyo state, sponsored the bill to amend the NBC and NPC Acts.
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“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.
“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.”
