The Federal Government and Civil Society Organizations( CSOs), yesterday, disagreed over a bill to regulate the use of the Internet by private broadcasting stations, as well as other online broadcast media.
The bill, which is sponsored by Chairman, House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values, Segun Odebumni and two others is seeking for an amendment to National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act.
The Minister of Information and Orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the government has a duty to monitor all broadcast contents.
However, stakeholders in the media industry, including the Institute for Media and Society, International Press Centre and Centre for Media Law and Advocacy kicked against the proposal.
Mohammed spoke at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values on a bill seeking to amend the NBC Act.
Section 2c of proposed amendment listed the categories of licenses to be granted which include Cable television Services, Direct Satellite broadcast, Direct to Home, IPTV, Radio, EPG and Digital Terrestrial television; radio and television stations owned, established or operated by the federal, state and local governments, Broadcast signal distribution, Online broadcast, community broadcasting, public service broadcasting, among others.
The Information Minister said: “I want to add here specifically that internet broadcasting and all online media should be included in this because we have responsibility to monitor content, including twitter.”
Mohammed, while speaking on a proposal, that the NBC should regulate and provide digital broadcasting in Nigeria in line with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) agreement 2006, said the laws of the country cannot be subservient to any treaty
According to him: “With due respect, our laws cannot be subservient to international telecommunication union treaties. It is true that we are part of the treaty, but our laws and act cannot be made subservient to any treaty. Treaties are made, but our laws will have to protect peculiar situations in our country. So, I will suggest we take another look at this.”
However, stakeholders in the media industry, including the Institute for Media and Society, International Press Centre and Centre for Media Law and Advocacy kicked against the proposal.
According to them, the inclusion of internet broadcast and online media to the category of broadcast service licenses to be issued by the NBC will be injurious to the freedom of expression and press freedom.
The Executive Director, IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, who spoke at the public hearing, said most of the decisions of the NBC are politically motivated, hence the focus of the amendment should be to make the commission independent.
According to him, “the point I want to make is that the appointment of the board DG is not subject to the confirmation of the National Assembly. And we think this should not be the case.
“For us in the media, we believe the NBC has always taken decisions which are politically motivated.”
Arogundade, while speaking against a proposal to empower the NBC to fix price for Pay-TV in the proposed amendment, added that fixing tariffs arbitrarily could lead to excessive pricing, which could discourage investment in the sector.
He noted that the conduct of the NBC overtime presented it as an extension of the office of the Minister of Information and Culture.
“Fixing tariffs arbitrarily could lead to excessive pricing that has the potential of discouraging investment in the sector and the attendant job losses,” he stressed.
“Giving the NBC the sole right over tariff issues which cannot be interfered with could be interpreted as an ouster clause that arrogates to it arbitrary powers that cannot be challenged even in the court of law.
“The two sub-sections highlighted above should be removed from the proposed amendment bill of the NBC Act.”
AbeyaNews
