Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has described President Bola Tinubu’s administration as being highly receptive to media freedom.
Idris, on Tuesday, provided these insights after touring the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) headquarters in Abuja.
However, he stated that adherence to the guidelines specified by regulatory authorities is a requirement for all media owners.
- “I think the Nigerian press is largely free,
- “Almost anyone can set up a radio house or television station or a newspaper house and get on the business provided that you follow the rules and regulations stipulated by the regulatory authorities.
- “I have not seen incidents of the press being emasculated or not being allowed to do its job. This is going to be a press-friendly government.
- “There is no way you can build trust in government policies and programs if the press is not allowed to scrutinize what it does.
- “I always say even this freedom of the press comes with enormous responsibility. The fact that the government is trying to say you can have a free press does not mean you can wake up and just write what you want.
- “We have a nation that we want to keep, and all of us need to recognize that. You cannot say what you want to say for the benefit of saying it.
- “Government has responsibility to ensure that you have your view within the confines of the law.”
Backstory
Earlier, Nairametrics reported that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) issued what they described as a “final warning” to the TV station, Arise TV, over derogatory remarks and insults aired on their stations.
Following the issuance of the letter, many people have accused the Federal government of an attempt to gag the media and control the narrative to favour the ruling party.
For instance, a PDP chieftain, Philip Shaibu alleged that the development from NBC is part of the APC-led administration to stifle freedom of the press following the release of Tinubu’s Chicago academic records.
Shaibu stated that NBC’s threatening to sanction Arise Television News was merely the beginning.
He further alleged that the Tinubu administration had grown increasingly exasperated with the Chicago State University scandal and was gearing up for a substantial counteraction in the days ahead.
He said,
- “Back in February, NBC tried to show a bit of fairness and fined TVC for unprofessional broadcasts, including the airing of the Joint Media Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council press briefing, where Festus Keyamo said Obasanjo and Atiku ran a criminal enterprise and an empire of fraud in Abuja.
- “However, since Tinubu became president on May 29, the NBC has become more partisan than ever. The NBC boss, Balarabe Ilelah, is seeking to retain his appointment and is now dancing to the tune of the APC and their master at the Presidential Villa.
- “The NBC has now been co-opted into a grand plot to gag the media over Tinubu’s certificate scandal. Having lost the battle in the court of public opinion, they are now trying to use the powers of the state to browbeat the media into silence. This is indeed shameful for a man who claimed to be a hero of the June 12 struggle.”
