The Presidency has denied making any input into the ongoing amendment processes to the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) Act and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act by the National Assembly.
A massive outcry from media stakeholders has greeted the amendment processes, with some describing it as another attempt by the Federal government to gag the media and others describing it as a reintroduction of the obnoxious Decree Number 4 of 1984, which was birthed by Gen Muhammadu Buhari as a military dictator.
Responding to questions from State House Correspondents after the week’s virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the issue of the amendment had nothing to do with the presidency, but a government matter.
According to him, the amendment initiative is a government thing, which only the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, can address.
Asked to comment on the issue, he said: “That is not strictly a Presidency thing because the President has nothing to do with that. It’s a government thing and it’s the minister that can talk about it. So, thank you.”
Adesina also revealed that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, is studying the ruling issued by the ECOWAS Court to the effect that Twitter users cannot be arrested or prosecuted, following the suspension of the activities of the microblogging site in the country.
He said the AGF would advise the Federal government on the next step to take.
Adesina affirmed that the committee made up of ministers to engage with Twitter has begun to meet.
“The Attorney-General of the Federation is going to study that report and then he’ll advise government on the way forward. The committee set up by the President to engage with Twitter is actually holding a meeting about now, or it will hold a meeting Wednesday towards engaging with Twitter,” he said.
