NPAN Rejects Media Exclusion from Press Bill’s Public Hearing

Olawale Ajimotokan

The Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) has kicked against the exclusion of the media from the public hearing on Nigerian Press Council (NPC) Amendment Bill.

It expressed surprise at the news of the public hearing on the NPC Amendment Bill, scheduled for today.

NPAN, in a statement yesterday by its President, Mr. Kabiru Yusuf, stated that available information showed that the hearing had initially been scheduled for yesterday along with four other media-related bills.

“As a stakeholder in the Nigerian media space, we don’t understand why print media owners have not been invited to participate in the hearing. This is contrary to earlier practice when the NPAN was invited to a public hearing on the same bill in the last Senate. This time around, we find it strange that we would get to know of this development by sheer happenstance,” NPAN said.

The media leaders called on the leadership of the National Assembly, especially the House of Representatives, to redress the anomaly, adding that with the public hearing now delayed by a day, it would endeavour to show up, even without a formal invitation.

“We also call on all media workers and their organisations to pay attention to the public hearing, which may have important consequences on the freedom of the press in particular, and good governance in general,” NPAN said.