I Will Ensure Speedy Action on Journalism Enhancement Bill – Says Odebunmi Bunvic, Clears Controversies on Proposed Media Act

I Will Ensure Speedy Action on Journalism Enhancement Bill – Says Odebunmi Bunvic, Clears Controversies on Proposed Media Act.

The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values, Hon. Segun Dokun Odebunmi popularly known as Bunvic has promised to ensure speedy action on the ‘Journalism Enhancement Bill’ pending before the National Assembly.

“The bill proposes the minimum entry point for editorial staff, conditions of service to commensurate with what is obtainable at the Federal Civil Service and the payment of hazard allowance to journalists, among others”, Bunvic revealed.

“Apart from remuneration, the bill also states that ‘The Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria should ensure the implementation of the eligibility criteria for entry into and practice of journalism in Nigeria, as contained in the Nigerian Press Council Decree No 85 of 1992.

“All professionals and trade unions of media workers and owners notably the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) should partner with the Nigerian Press Council and make it mandatory for all potential journalists to register with the relevant professional and regulatory bodies after fulfilling a basic requirement and be accredited to practice. They must also sign to uphold the Code of Conduct and Ethics of Journalism.

Recall that on Thursday at a press briefing in his office Abuja while speaking on the bill for an act to amend the NPC Act, the All Progressive lawmaker from Ogo Oluwa/Surulere Federal Constituency, Odebunmi said the insinuation that the bill was sponsored by Federal Government through Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed is not true.

According to him, “The bill is a bill for an Act to amend the Nigerian Press Council Act. Cap N128, Laws of The Federation of Nigeria, 1992 in order to remove bottlenecks affecting its performance and make the Council relevant with the current realities in regulating Press.

He maintained that he was only influenced by his passion to ensure effectiveness of the regulating agencies and not to gag the media as being misconceived by some segments of the public.

“Most of the people commenting on the bill have no knowledge of it. The bill was not sponsored by Federal Government, even, the Minister of Information was only aware few days to presentation and he did not have any input on the bill. It is my idea because I feel we should not wait for Supreme Court’s judgement to do what is right by amending the existing controversial law”, he said.

The Federal lawmaker maintained that stakeholders in the media industry have the right to reject the Minister as the one to approve the Code of Conducts, since the bill is still undergoing scrutiny by the House of Representatives.

“And that is why I am calling on the stakeholders to come together and come up with a Code that would be approved. There’s a process to approve the Code, as all the stakeholders will come together before they can approve that Code. So, the Code can be put together by the professional journalists based on what they think will be able to guide them and protect, even, the voiceless.

“There are many voiceless professionals. So the Code will not be given by me. It will be put together by the journalists. It’s okay, the Press Council has a Code. That Code will guide and sanitise the industry. That’s all. The issue of the Minister approving the Code in my thinking is not compulsory. If the stakeholders don’t agree, then the Minister has no problem with that, and we can come up with another idea of a board”, Bunvic stated.