The House of Representatives has reiterated its commitment to providing legislative support to government owned media organizations.
The Chairman house committee on information national orientation ethics and value Olusegun Odebunmi stated this during the committee’s 3 days oversight visit to MDAs under the ministry of information.
The first agency visited by the committee was the Nigerian Broadcasting commission NBC which some discrepancies was found in its 2019 internally generated revenue, the Committee led by Hon Odebunmi Olusegun seemed not satisfied with the details for the National Broadcasting Commission .
He however called for a detailed Audit report of the commission, in his response the acting Director General of the Commission Prof. Armstrong Idachaba promised that the commission would yield to the committee’s request by availing the necessary documents before it. At the FRCN, The DG FRCN Dr. Mansur Liman has advocated more funding to enable the corporation deliver on its mandate, while reacting, the Chairman House of Representatives committee on information, national orientation, ethics and values, Hon. Odebunmi also stressed the need for the Ministry of information and culture to provide FRCN and NTA with modern equipment to discharge their duties effectively.
The Committee chairman described as disheartening the situation that the two agencies found themselves in, of working with obsolete equipment in dilapidated buildings. As part of the 3 days committee’s oversight visit, The Ministry of Information was not left out ,the Minister of Information and Culture, Alh Lai Muhammad, says the ministry is doing its best in ensuring good working environment for agencies under it.
Alh Lai Muhammad stated further that the ministry has been able to generate over 25 million naira as its internally generated revenue in 2019. This according to the Minister was despite the fact that the ministry is not a revenue generating agency but a service provider.
Mr Lai Muhammad stated that the ministry engages foreign media organizations to counter the negative news that sometimes comes out of the country.
The House of Representatives frowned at the poor releases of funds to the ministry of information and culture and its agencies in 2019. The chairman of the committee Hon.Odebunmi stated this at the oversight visit to the ministry.
