A federal legislature, Olusegun Odebunmi, from Oyo state, who sponsored the bills for an amendment to the laws establishing the NBC and the NPC, has stated that the legislative process on the bills has been suspended.
There has been criticism by Nigerians and media stakeholders that have decried the steps taken by the house of Representatives to amend the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) and the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Acts as “draconian” and viewed as efforts by the government to suppress free speech in the country.
The lawmaker who was a guest on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily, on Tuesday, stated that he called for the suspension of the bills to allow for consultation with stakeholders in the industry.
“Personally, I’m suspending the process for more consultation,” he said.
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“What I’m saying is that the NUJ cannot gag the activities of the national assembly by saying ‘No you must drop it because obviously, that is not the way.
“We have suspended the process for more consultation to happen on it. They demanded a lot of time and I said ‘no problem, we have given you; even if you spend three, four to five weeks. So far, more consultations from critical stakeholders, and many people have been submitting their memoranda to the national assembly even within the industry.”
Odebunmi further stated that his motive is not to muzzle the press, noting that he identifies the gaps in the practice of journalism in Nigeria and that the amendments are intended to address the lapses.
“My intention is not to gag the press, and unless all the practitioners can say all is well with the industry, to the best of my knowledge I know all is not well. And I know the national assembly has the power to look into the existing act,” he said.
“All is not well with the NPC agency. It is an agency of government, and you’re expecting something to be given back to the society, but until now nothing has been coming from the agency.”
