Buhari, N’Assembly trying to criminalise journalism through bills – IPC

The International Press Centre (IPC) has opposed efforts by the government to criminalise journalism in the nation, calling on media professionals to fight before it is too late.

The Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, stated that there were two key bills before the National Assembly which could hinder press freedom in Nigeria.

Arogundade identified them as the National Broadcasting Commission Amendment Bill and the Nigerian Press Council Act Amendment Bill.

Top Naija gathered that the amendment bills of the NBC Act were sponsored by Odebunmi Olusegun (APC, Oyo State and Chairman, House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values) and Unyime Idem (PDP, Akwa Ibom State and Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Communication); the NPC amendment bill is sponsored by Olusegun.

The IPC director, who spoke to Top Naija on Sunday on the phone, stated that if the media failed to act on time and the amendments bill is passed, media houses could become an adjunct of the Federal Ministry of Information.

He said, “We have discovered that some of the amendments being proposed in the two bills are major threats to press freedom should they be passed into law. We are saying this because there is an attempt to criminalise journalism.

“The penalties for the alleged breach of the codes in the NBC and NPC acts are highhanded and heavy, sometimes up to N10m in the case of the NPC Act and even imprisonment for three years for any form of alleged violations.

“In the case of the NBC Act, there is a provision that the NBC can sanction a station, including fine or revocation of licence, if in the opinion of the NBC, it is in public interest. You now begin to wonder how a proposed law would give power of determining public interest to an unelected body.”

Arogundade also questioned why the National Assembly usually confirmed the board appointments of all regulatory bodies in Nigeria, except the media. He said this was giving the Information Ministry excessive press control.

He stated, “The NPC Act is so ridiculous that the proposed amendment is saying that a National Press Code shall be drawn up and the code will come into effect only with the approval of the Minister of Information. So, they are saying in effect that all newspapers are a department of the Ministry of Information.”

The IPC director declared that the National Assembly must perform as true representatives of Nigerians and not to serve the self-centered interest of a small number of people.

As indicated by him, a breach of press freedom in any form denies the citizens the right to know.