FG Denies Sponsoring Bills To Regulate Social Media

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Friday, June 25th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Federal Government on Friday has refuted claims that it is sponsoring bills purportedly meant to gag the press and regulate social media.

African Examiner recalls that the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had tasked the House of Representatives to include regulation of Twitter in the National Broadcasting Commission Act.

Mohammed disclosed this 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 disclosed that the bills concerning the Nigerian Press Council and the National Broadcasting Commission were private member bills sponsored by a lawmaker in the National Assembly.

He said: “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 also stated that the National Assembly member who sponsored the bills had done nothing wrong saying that the legislator was only doing his job.

“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.