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NBC, NPC Bills Not To Moderate But Criminalize Journalism – Nigerian Guild of Editors

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The Nigerian Guild of Editors said on Tuesday that the Nigerian media was not a political opponent or enemy of the Federal Government.

According to the NGE, many of the attacks on the media by the political elite are designed to bully media organizations.

The NGE in a statement by its President, Mustapha Isah; and General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, was reacting to what it described as “draconian provisions’’ in the two bills to amend the Nigerian Press Council Act and the National Broadcasting Commission Act currently before the National Assembly.

The NGE called on the National Assembly to remove the obnoxious provisions in the two bills that make it look as if they were meant to strangulate, instead of regulating the media.

The statement reads partly, “At a time there is a popular ongoing global conversation about the need for #NewDealForJournalism – for immediate and sustained action from, and collaboration between governments and other influential actors to improve the policy, funding, and enabling environment for independent professional journalism, we see the proposed legislation as unhelpful.

“While we are not opposed to an Act that will promote media stakeholders-driven regulatory council, the many draconian provisions in the Odebunmi Olusegun’s sponsored bills are actually aimed at criminalizing media practice in Nigeria. While the intention of the sponsor of the bills is suspicious; the bills negate all known features of media regulatory bodies in the world.”

The NGE said while the NPC Act. CAP N128, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1992, created by the military dictatorship, gave the Council Board full responsibility to administer the council, the proposed Act restricts the council board to “advisory capacity on a part-time basis without direct interference in the day to day administration of the council and gives the Executive Secretary all the power.”

“While the proposed NPC Act says the board shall consist of one representative each from the Nigeria Union of Journalists; Nigerian Guild of Editors; Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria; Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria; Ministry of Information; two representative of the general public, one of whom shall be a legal practitioner and a woman; and Executive Secretary of the council, who shall serve as the secretary to the board, the board is a mere advisory body.

‘’The bill also says that the chairman of the board shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Minister in charge of Information. And that all other members of the board shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation by the Minister of Information. The intention of this kind of council is suspicious,” the statement said.

The NGE said that the professional body doesn’t need the approval of the Minister of Information to establish and disseminate the National Press Code and standards to guide the conduct of print media, related media houses, and media practitioners and approves penalties and fines against violation of the press code, as provided for in the bill.

‘’The Guild is not aware of any media regulatory council in the world, which says that media regulatory council shall establish a National Press and Ethical Code of Conduct for media houses and media practitioners, which shall come into effect and be disseminated after approval by the Minister of Information, and that the code shall be binding on every media houses and journalists.

“Again, apart from the fines for journalist or media houses that violate the code, the bill also says that in an extreme case, the council shall order the striking out of the name of the journalist from the register; and suspend the person from practice by ordering him not to engage in practice as a journalist for a period not exceeding six months; as may be specified in the directive.

“This kind of media regulatory council will neither serve the interest of the media industry, strengthen its constitutional role of holding public officers accountable to the people nor serves the general interest of the public – who are the original trustees of the media,’ the NGE stated.

The body stressed that in the proposed NPC legislation, the sponsor smuggled in the controversial “fake news’’ provision by stating that any person who used news, established to be fake thereafter, committed an offense and was liable on conviction to a fine of N5m or a term of two-year imprisonment or both, and compensation of N2m payable to the person(s), group(s), corporate bodies, government or any of its agencies whom the news was used against.

The NGE said the provisions of the two bills give the impression that the Federal Government “is out to crush its enemy,” saying that the media was not an enemy of the state.

The organization added that the two bills if passed, would compound the nation’s negative image in the global community.

The statement said the bills were seen by many as attempts to further stifle the democratic space in the country that was currently having challenges on all fronts.

The editors said they were also opposed to the heavy involvement of the President and the Minister of Information in the composition of appointments into the boards of NBC and the NPC, saying the board members should appoint their own chairmen.

BIG STORY

National Assembly Passes Life Imprisonment Bill For Nigerian Drug Traffickers

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In a bid to tackle drug-related crimes, the National Assembly has amended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act, introducing life imprisonment for drug offenders and traffickers.

This comes after the Senate and House of Representatives adopted the harmonised report on the amendment.

Senator Tahir Monguno, Chairman of the Senate Conference Committee, presented the report, highlighting that the amendment introduces stricter penalties to deter drug-related crimes.

“Any person who unlawfully engages in the storage, custody, movement, carriage or concealment of dangerous drugs or controlled substances and, while doing so, is armed with an offensive weapon or disguised in any manner, commits an offence under this Act and is liable, upon conviction, to life imprisonment,” Monguno said.

The Senate approved the amendment through a voice vote during Thursday’s plenary, which was presided over by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.

In addition, the Senate passed the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission Bill, 2024, aimed at replacing the 2004 RMAFC Act. Yahaya Abdullahi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Planning and Economic Affairs, stressed the need for the commission’s reform, citing Nigeria’s declining revenue and increasing population.

“The Act, last revised over 20 years ago, no longer reflects Nigeria’s evolving economic realities. This bill proposes additional funding and a restructured operational framework for the commission to improve its efficiency,” Abdullahi explained.

He further emphasised the need for adequate funding from the Federation Account for the RMAFC to effectively carry out its constitutional duties.

The bill, passed after deliberations and a majority vote, now awaits President Bola Tinubu’s assent to become law.

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BIG STORY

UPDATE: We’re Ready To Provide Evidence For Trial Of Simon Ekpa — Enugu Government

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The Enugu State Government has expressed its readiness and willingness to provide evidence to assist in the prosecution of Simon Ekpa, who was arrested in Finland on Thursday over allegations of sponsoring terrorism in Nigeria.

Enugu State Government made this offer in a statement released by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, on Friday.

In the statement, the Enugu State Government also commended the Government of the Republic of Finland for the arrest of Ekpa, whom it described as “the Finland-based leader of the criminal gang, Autopilots.”

The Enugu State Government further referred to Simon Ekpa as “a common criminal, con man, and terrorist, who has no interest of Igbo people at heart.”

It added that Ekpa “is a murderer and fraudster, who delights in killing his people and living large off their misery.”

“Enugu State was ready and willing to provide evidence of Ekpa-sponsored atrocities against Ndigbo to aid his trial and conviction, whether in Finland or Nigeria.”

“The Enugu State Government welcomes the arrest of the Finland-based terrorist, Simon Ekpa.”

“His arrest and trial will no doubt go a long way in strengthening peace, security, and stability in all parts of the South East.”

“This arrest is in line with the demand of Governor Peter Mbah Administration, which has repeatedly made it known that Ekpa is a megalomaniac, common criminal, murderer, and fraudster, who takes joy in feeding fat on the manipulated emotions of Ndigbo and inflicting misery on the South East region.”

“Ekpa has for long, and unfortunately from Finland, made a living by creating a siege climate and mentality in the South East, destroying lives, property, and the Igbo trademark of entrepreneurship and hard work.”

“He thrives on manipulating, exploiting, and extorting the people on the pretext of fighting for their interest and for the restoration of Biafra,” the government said.

Ekpa was arrested and detained alongside four other suspects by the government of Finland on charges of sponsoring terrorism in Nigeria, according to local newspapers in the European country.

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BIG STORY

Much Ado About Meddlesome Minions, And Messengers Of Misinformation — By Tayo Williams

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There is a growing phalanx of pseudo-intellectuals parading the social media space with faux and fictitious knowledge of the indigenous oil and gas industry, and it is scary because of the grave danger they portend and present for the average Nigerian.

From X (formerly known as Twitter) to Facebook and even the photos and videos-sharing site, Instagram, they abound, in their inglorious number, lending their platforms to deliberately distort facts and spread misinformation especially to favour the narratives propounded by popular Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote, owner of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

Since the refinery began operations earlier in the year, it has been one week, one controversy allegedly orchestrated by Dangote in a brazen attempt to arm-twist the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, into playing by his rules.

Those conversant with the modus operandi of Dangote and his refinery say the long-drawn warfare with every institution and individual in the oil and gas value chain is nothing but a self-seeking and mindless profit maximisation tactic.

Whilst nobody begrudges Dangote’s drive for profit as a businessman, perhaps he needs to be reminded that the NNPC has a mandate to ensure and provide energy security in a way that is affordable and sustainable for the generality of Nigerians. And, the NNPCL management has declared in very unambiguous terms that it would not pander to the din of the market whether orchestrated by Dangote, his rampaging minions or anyone else.

The truth, however, is that there is an increasing army of vacuous, vicious, and vile individuals strutting the social media space defending and propagating outright and outlandish falsehoods. Of particular concern is one Kelvin Emmanuel who has become the unofficial mouthpiece of the Dangote Refinery. Going from one media house to the other, he pulls figures out of the air and projects obnoxious untruths on hapless Nigerians. With the backing of his paymaster’s billions, it is no surprise that this otherwise irrelevant and fatuous character now commands appearances on major television stations.

But it is on X that he has made lying glibly and gratuitously the Holy Grail. He once premised Dangote’s inability to secure feedstock for his refinery on the government and the NNPCL. While peddling this untruth, he conveniently forgets that the refinery had a seven-year window, during its construction phase, to lock in feedstock supplies that could last a minimum of five years. Dangote did none of that. As it would later unfold, his game plan, which Emmanuel glossed over, was to monopolise equity oil and production quotas to serve his business interests.

Another deliberate misinformation from the Dangote camp was the allegation that International Oil Companies (IOCs) and other industry players were trying to sabotage his interests. Apart from being an investor in the Dangote Refinery, the NNPC still supplies gas to various Dangote companies across Nigeria. How can anyone or any institution jeopardise their investment? What further proof of faith does Dangote and his minions need to know that the NNPC is their cheerleader, and is here to make operating in the industry seamless and a win-win for all?

Echoing Dangote’s baseless stance, Emmanuel also called for the sack of Mr. Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), regulators of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream value chain. By Emmanuel’s warped reckoning, Ahmed had no locus to speak against Dangote or his enterprise because the latter questioned the quality of the product from Dangote Refinery and other local refineries in comparison with imported ones. Of course, Emmanuel’s was a lone voice in the wilderness because those who understand the invaluable role that the NMDPRA plays in the industry did not as much as dignify his tirade with a glance.

In a robust response to Emmanuel’s groundswell of egregious lies, Ibrahim Y. Kabo, a petroleum engineer based in Abuja, described him as “Someone who has not seen the inside of a refinery before Dangote built one, let alone understood the mechanism of the energy industry, …(yet) assuming the role of an authority in oil and gas matters.”

He went further to lampoon Emmanuel for stating that only Dangote Refinery’s products meet specifications while others are all sub-standard. “The obvious question is: whose specifications? For a refinery that has barely made four of seven pre-inauguration certifications, it sounds somehow laughable to suddenly assume the role of regulator in an industry you’ve barely entered,” Kabo said.

In the article, entitled, “The Hand of Aliko, the Voice of Kelvin: Inside Dangote Refinery’s Media Stunt Lab”, Kabo declared that from all Emmanuel’s interviews and pretensions to be an industry expert, one thing is obvious: “He lacks an understanding of both the mandate and the reach of NNPC as a national oil company.”

Kabo adds that, “Downstream is the least of NNPC’s business interests. The mandate, as per PIA (Petroleum Industry Act), is to facilitate both the extraction and commercialization of Nigeria’s oil and gas resources. 20 billion dollars may be a lot, but NNPC and industry regulators routinely handle projects of that magnitude. At best, Dangote and (Emmanuel’s) ranting are an irritation. I believe that’s why NNPC openly declared it was not interested in being Dangote’s off-taker.”

Like the Yoruba saying goes, derision does not stop the sweetness of the honey. The meddlesome minions and messengers of misinformation can continue dancing naked in the marketplace, but what is most important is that the NNPCL has assured that it will not cease doing everything in its capacity “to harness the possibilities of oil and gas, address energy demand and drive the national economy, and become the number one oil producer and supplier in Africa.”

 

Tayo Williams is a Lagos-based media executive

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