Citing fears of a possible spread
of COVID-19 among inmates, Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture,
has asked the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to take Big Brother Naija
(BBN) off the air.
The reality show, which entered
its fifth season on July 20, is one of the most watched programmes on cable TV
in Nigeria.
TheCable reports that on
Wednesday, Armstrong Idachaba, acting director-general of the NBC, told senior
management members that he had been directed by the minister to shut down the
show.
The commission was to use fears
of spread of COVID-19 as the reason, citing directives from the presidential
task force (PTF), insiders said.
Mohammed reportedly wanted the
letter shutting down the show to come from the NBC because of the general
opinion that he is bent on sending MultiChoice Ltd, producers of the show, out
of Nigeria.
He is believed to have launched
political moves against MultiChoice in order to pave the way for his main
consultant to make a return to Pay TV after previously failing.
However, insiders told TheCable
that the NBC management was not well disposed to the move to shut down BBN,
with some of them saying there was no basis for it.
A director is said to have
reminded the meeting that NBC had already sought explanation from Multichoice
on a possible violation of COVID-19 protocols with the airing of the show.
The letter was sent on July 1,
before the show began.
MultiChoice replied with detailed
explanations on measures taken in collaboration with the Lagos state
government, whose agency, Lagos State Safety Commission, gave the green light
for the show.
Also, MultiChoice said in the
letter that housemates had been screened prior to the show and that the BBN
House had been decontaminated and adapted to ensure sufficient physical
distancing, in addition to eliminating the use of live audience.
All inmates went through a
mandatory two-week isolation during which COVID-19 symptoms would have
manifested if they had the disease.
A second director is said to have
told the meeting that participants of the show had maintained the safety
protocols, notably generous use of hand sanitisers, since it started on Sunday.
Idachaba, who is reportedly
fighting to be confirmed as the substantive DG, was asked to request the
minister for a written directive.
However, the acting DG was said
to have told the meeting that he would have no other option than to carry out
Mohammed’s order — the same way he altered the broadcast code to please the
minister despite public outcry.
The minister could not be reached
for comments as he did not pick his phone or reply messages.
The ministry’s spokesman, Segun
Adeyemi, also did not respond to calls.
Joe Mutah, Mohammed’s chief press
secretary, directed all enquiries to NBC.
Idachaba, in his response to
TheCable, simply said BBN will not be taken off air but did not provide any
further information.
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