The Presidency on Wednesday said it had no hand in the ongoing attempts at the National Assembly to amend the Nigerian Press Council, NPC, Act and the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Act.
The proposed amendment of the media bill has attracted a lot of condemnations by many Nigerians especially media practitioners, alleging that it was an attempt to muzzle the press.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the First Lady’s Conference Room, presidential villa, Abuja, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina, however, explained that the initiative was a government thing that only the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji 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.”
Chief Adesina also said that President Buhari has approved that the Second Peer Review Country Self-Assessment Report should be done.
According to him, “The only thing of interest I would like to talk about is the second Peer Review Country’s Self-assessment Report.
“Nigeria is ready for the second Peer Review Country Self -assessment Report to be done by AUDA-NEPAD. I think the last self-assessment report was done 10 years ago in Nigeria. Now, Nigeria is ready for the second review self-assessment report.
“It’s been discussed at the Council and the President has granted the approval that that peer review report can be conducted on Nigeria.
“Actually, if you have an insight into the report that was presented, which the woman in charge of NEPAD, Princes Gloria Akobundu, can give you, Nigeria has made progress in several areas and on several fronts.
“While 10 years ago, petroleum contributed more than 70 percent , even up to 90 percent , to GDP, you will find that today, petroleum contributes just about 45 percent and non-oil products contribute about 55 percent to the Nigerian economy.
“So, if Nigeria had been talking of diversification for 40, 50, 60 years, the economy can now be said to be diversified because our GDP, non-oil revenue, contributes about 55% to 45% of oil.
“So, it’s one of the highlights of the Peer Review Country Self-assessment Report that was presented at the Council meeting today. Details of that can be gotten from the AUDA-NEPAD office.”
The Presidential spokesman also said that the Attorney General of the Federation was 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.
He said, “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 this afternoon (Wednesday) towards engaging with Twitter.”
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