BY Dyepkazah Shibayan
Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, says the administration of President Bola Tinubu will be press-friendly.
Idris spoke on Tuesday after taking a tour of the facilities of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) at its headquarters in Abuja.
The minister said any media owner must adhere to the guidelines stipulated by the regulatory authorities.
“I think to a large extent I will say yes. I think the Nigerian press is largely a free press,” he said.
“Almost anyone can set up a radio house or television station or a newspaper house and get on the business provided that you follow the rules and regulations stipulated by the regulatory authorities.
“I have not seen incidents of press being emasculated or not being allowed to do its job. This is going to be a press-friendly government.
“There is no way you can build trust in government policies and programmes if the press is not allowed to scrutinise what it does.
“I always say even this freedom of the press comes with enormous responsibility. The fact that government is trying to say you can have a free press does not mean you can wake up and just write what you want.
“We have a nation that we want to keep and it is important for all of us to recognise that. You cannot say what you want to say for the benefit of saying it.
“Government has responsibility to ensure that you have your view within the confines of the law.”
He added that President Bola Tinubu is an advocate of press freedom.
The minister’s comments came after the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) issued a “final warning” to Arise Television.
NBC said guests on the television station made “derogatory and incendiary remarks” against the legislative, judiciary, and executive arms of government on October 5 and 6.
The guests spoke on the controversy surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s academic records released by the Chicago State University (CSU).
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