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We won’t gag press but media should be regulated – Gbajabiamila
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said that he will not be part of any bill that seeks to gag the press.
He, however, said that the media should be regulated, stressing that no institution including the press would be allowed to operate unchecked.
He stated this on Monday during the annual dinner and award of excellence held under the theme ‘Reorganising Good Governance and Legislative Excellence in the Face of Adversity’.
The move by the lower chamber to amend the laws establishing the Nigeria Press Council (NPC) and Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has attracted a lot of criticisms from opinion leaders, journalists and other members of the public.
Gbajabiamila said, “I will not be part of any bill that will seek to gag the press. No bill will come to the floor of the House that seeks to gag the press, because the press as it is supposed to be, is supposed to be the voice of the people.”
According to the speaker, there is press freedom and freedom of expression and there will always be, adding however that nowhere in the world where freedom of expression is absolute.
He said freedom of expression is limited to the extent that it does not affect another person’s freedom.
He pointed out that freedom of expression is not absolute, adding it was made absolutely clear in the constitution.
The Speaker said Section 45 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of expression but added that the government could limit that freedom for the sake of health and security, which he said was written in black and white.
He said, “Once, I will never allow the gagging of the press. I worry where at every turn when the National Assembly tries to promulgate the law with the best of intentions and everybody descends on the National Assembly.
“Using this as a sample, this Press Council Bill. I called the proponent of the bill, what is going on, what have you done and he tried to break it down. I haven’t read the bill personally myself but I will read it in the next couple of days in detail. I just have a general idea of the context.
“He told me he had a meeting with all the stakeholders. I wasn’t present at the meeting. Because I said to him, I hope you are meeting with these guys, whatever provision they have problem with, whatever provision that is inimical to the development of the press or the growth of the press, remove it or tweak it in such a way that everybody will be happy.”
Gbajabiamila said the fact that no institution wanted to be regulated gave him concern.
“We are getting to a point in this country, nobody wants to be regulated; the NGOs don’t want to be regulated; the religious bodies don’t want to be regulated; social media doesn’t want to be regulated; professors of universities go on strike because they don’t want to be on the same payment platform as everybody else,” he said.
The speaker wondered what the function of government would be if not to regulate for good government.
He added: “Regulations are a key component or essential component of good governance. We cannot just let people or any institution run amok. The executive is regulated, the judiciary to a large extent is regulated, the legislature is regulated. Just name it. Institutions are meant to be regulated.
“There is no one institution that can be above the law, especially an institution that is meant to be the fourth estate of the realm whose utterances or writings can make it break even a government.”
The speaker said as long the provisions in the bill would guarantee the independence of the press, it was non-negotiable.
News
FG approves salary increase for civil servants
FG approves salary increase for civil servants
The Federal Government has approved a salary increase of between 25 and 35 per cent for civil servants.
This move is coming on the eve of the 2024 Workers’ Day.
This was revealed in a statement on Tuesday by the Head of Press at the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC)Emmanuel Njoku.
The increment, it stated, would take effect from January 1, 2024.
The Salary Structure includes the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS), Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS), Consolidated Police Salary Structure (CONPOSS), Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure (CONPASS), Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure (CONICCS) and Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure (CONAFSS).
Those in the tertiary education and health sectors had already received their increases which involved Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) for universities.
For polytechnics and colleges of education, the statement indicated that the new salary structure involved the Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure (CONPCASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Educational Institutions Salary Structure (CONTEDISS).
Those in the Health Sector will also be benefiting through the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Sector Salary Structure (CONHESS).
Also, the Federal Government has approved increase in pension of between 20 and 28 per cent for pensioners on the defined benefits scheme concerning the above-mentioned six consolidated salary structures.
News
FG declares Wednesday May 1 public holiday
FG declares Wednesday May 1 public holiday
The Federal Government has declared Wednesday May 1, 2024 as a public holiday to mark this year’s Workers’ Day.
Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made the declaration in a statement released on Tuesday by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Aishetu Ndayako.
“The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, 1st May 2024 as a public holiday to commemorate this year’s Workers’ Day Celebration,” Aishetu said in the statement.
She quoted the minister as “In alignment with this year’s theme, which focuses on ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate, I wish to state that the Federal Government remains steadfast in its resolve to prioritise the safety and well-being of all citizens.
“Let me reaffirm Mr. President’s commitment to providing a conducive environment for work, where every worker can thrive and contribute meaningfully to national development.”
The minister acknowledged the contribution of workers and called for more measures to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change through synergy.
“The minister also urged Nigerians to remain committed to the present administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda as he wishes workers a happy celebration,” the statement added.
News
FG set to repatriate 20,000 Nigerians from Chad, Cameroon
FG set to repatriate 20,000 Nigerians from Chad, Cameroon
The federal government has announced plans to repatriate 20,000 Nigerians from Chad and Cameroon over the next two months. The plan involves bringing back 6,000 individuals from Chad and 14,000 from Cameroon.
As of December 31, 2023, there were 21,338 Nigerian refugees in Chad and 120,677 in Cameroon. In the previous year, the federal government successfully repatriated 5,000 Nigerian refugees from Cameroon to Banki in Borno State. In preparation for the return of the refugees, the federal government procured food and non-food items worth N2 billion in 2023.
The Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Tijani Ahmed, disclosed this information at a Technical Working Group meeting in Abuja. The refugees were displaced due to various factors, including the 2022 flood, the Boko Haram crisis, clashes between farmers and herders, and the ongoing challenges posed by climate change.
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Ahmed said: “In the year 2023, the commission spearheaded the repatriation of 5,000 people living in Cameroon to the country.
“We are also arranging to bring back those who are interested in returning because repatriation is voluntary and an agreement has been signed between UNHCR, the government of Cameroon and the federal government of Nigeria in the area of repatriation of our people from Cameroon.
“We are going to work towards the repatriation of 6,000 Nigerians out of about 21,000 of them in Chad.
“We are looking at returning 3000 households from Chad, which is about 6,000 people would be repatriated from Chad to Nigeria. For Cameroon, we have about 14,000 people but we will profile them because we don’t have to force anybody to return. Arrangements are underway to get them back. Within the next two months, we should have concluded the arrangement on repatriation.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Deputy Representative (Protection), Bernadette Muteshi commended the federal government for taking the lead in the repatriation exercise.
FG set to repatriate 20,000 Nigerians from Chad, Cameroon
FG approves salary increase for civil servants
FG declares Wednesday May 1 public holiday
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