Some journalists and Nigerians have described the Nigerian Press Council, NPC, and National Broadcasting Commission, NBC Act Amendment Bills before the National Assembly as a ploy not only to gag the press but the entire masses.
In an interview with reporters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, they called on all and sundry to resist the bill so as to ensure that the freedom of information is not entirely repressed in Nigeria.
The proposed attempt by the National Assembly to amend the NPC and NBC law of the federation has continued to attract wild criticisms.
Last Monday also witnessed a protest from the Nigerian Union of journalists and other media groups against the proposed bill with major newspaper advertorials and front pages captioned ” information blackout”
Journalists in Yenagoa also feel it is a planned effort to totally kill freedom of information in Nigeria.
To them, an attempt to clamp down on freedom of information is an attempt to further truncate the country’s democratic principles.
It is hoped that with this outcry from different quarters, the legislators will rather enact laws that could improve existing policies to enhance efficacy and freedom of information in the country.