The Federal Government on Friday denied sponsoring bills
purportedly meant to gag the press and regulate social media.
Recall that the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai
Mohammed, had urged the House of Representatives to include regulation of
Twitter in the National Broadcasting Commission Act.
The Minister made the call at the public hearing on a bill
to amend the NBC Act organized by the House Committee on Information.
“I will want to add that specifically, internet broadcasting and all online media should be included in this because we have a responsibility to monitor content— including Twitter,” he said.
However, in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, Mohammed
said the bills concerning the Nigerian Press Council and the National
Broadcasting Commission were private member bills sponsored by a lawmaker in
the National Assembly.
“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.
”This is a classic case of misinformation because the
Federal Government did not sponsor any bill to gag the press.
“It baffles me that those who rushed to the media to slam
the government didn’t even try to verify the facts,’’ he said
The minister further stated that the National Assembly
member who sponsored the bills had done nothing wrong. He said the legislator
was only doing what he was elected to do.
“I insist that the bills were not sponsored by the Federal
Government.
“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,’’ he added.
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