By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
For the umpteenth time, the President of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Comrade Christopher Isiguzo has said that the proposed Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Nigerian Press Council (NPC) Amendment Bill which is before the National Assembly will be injurious to the Nigerian Press and the general public.
Isiguzo who described the Bill as obnoxious argued that if passed into law the Bill will gag the press and put the journalism profession in jeopardy.
The NUJ boss said this when he appeared on Channels Television breakfast programme Sunrise Daily on Tuesday alongside the sponsor of the vexatious Bill and Member of Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Olusegun Odebunmi, accused NASS of trying to put the regulation of the press in the hands of government and politicians.
According to him: “The proposed Bill which seek to put the faith of the media in the hands of the Minister of Information, to regulate the media, determine who has ran foul of the rules and impose fines, will not be acceptable to the media practitioners and critical stakeholders especially Nigerian Press Organisation”.
Isiguzo revealed that NPO has not agreed with the composition of Nigeria Press Council (NPC) because media practitioners and stakeholders were not carried along.
He insisted that the media regulates itself, pointing out that: “even the fake news everyone is talking about, there are existing laws that take care of some infractions. For example, there are Laws of Libel, Sedition, etc.
“We may also work on something like Press Complaints Commission (PCC) to checkmate fake news and other infractions. So the media can regulate itself and does not need none professionals to try to regulate them, it’s not acceptable”, he said.
Isiguzo therefore asked Hon. Odebunmi to do the honourable thing to withdraw the obnoxious Bill without further delay.
Said he: “With do respect, I will advice Hon. Odebunmi to eat the humble pie and withdraw the Bill now that it is clear to everyone, including him that his Bill has received harsh criticism from the Nigerian people. I make bold to say that the Honourable does not know what contains in the proposed new bill he is proposing”.
Meanwhile, Odebunmi who is also Chairman, House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethic and Values held on to his views that the proposed Bill will benefit the media and media practitioners.
He argued that Minister of Information will not manipulate the proposed Bill when it become law of the land, pointing out that “media practitioners may one day become the Minister hence they should not be afraid of the new Bill”.
He however failed to give cogent reason NASS is pushing ahead with the proposed Bill in the face of strong opposition by the NPO, NUJ, Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and the general public.
The Sponsor of the Bill showed clear lack of Knowledge of what the proposed Bill intend to achieve nor what was wrong with the existing laws guiding the press.
