Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has assured that the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government “will not make any law or directive that will stifl e the press in its ongoing eff ort against hate speech and fake news.” Th e minister gave the assurance yesterday in Lagos when he visited the headquarters of TV Continental. Mohammed described as “fake news,” the alleged directive from National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) regulating phone-in programmes and newspaper review on TV and radio programmes. He said there was no directive whatsoever from NBC or his offi ce to any media house, regulating phone-in programmes and newspaper review as reported in the media. Th e minister said there was a brainstorming meeting among stakeholders, including NBC, media owners and others in Lagos where issues aff ecting the industry were discussed.
He said it was one of the participants at the meeting that leaked out the issues raised, which were never adopted as government directive or policies. Mohammed reiterated that “no government that stifl es the press ever succeeds” and the federal government “will not make laws or issue directive to gag the media.” He said the position of the government has been and still remains that the industry should regulate itself. Th e minister, therefore, underscored the need for media houses to discharge their responsibilities in accordance with the dictates of their guiding codes to check the alarming rate of hate speech and fake news.
He said many Nigerians relied on newspaper review on radio and TV as their source of news daily, and such review should, therefore, be done from the holistic perspective. Th e minister also underscored the need for media houses to regulate the calls received during phonein programmes to checkmate opportunists from using such avenue for hate speech. Mohammed further said government would not make any new laws to tackle the challenge of hate speech because there are enough provisions for it.
He said the Anti-Terrorism Act 2011 defi nes hate speech amongst others, as an act deliberately done with malice and which may seriously harm or damage a country or seriously intimidate a population. On why there was upsurge in incidents of hate speech and fake news in the country, the minister said that the purveyors were being paid with stolen funds to whittle down the anti- corruption stance of the administration. He said the upsurge was also about the 2019 general elections, to whittle down the “many achievements” recorded by the Buhari’s administration. He said no amount of hatred would obliterate the solid achievements recorded by the Administration. Chief Executive Offi cer of TVC, Andrew Hanlon, thanked the minister for the visit. (NAN)
