Posted by By Senan John Murray, Abuja on
The leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly, on Monday, denied involvement in the media accreditation guidelines recently released by the bureaucracy of the National Assembly.This is the second time in one month that the bureaucracy is attempting to impose media accreditation modalities.
The leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly, on Monday, denied involvement in the media accreditation guidelines recently released by the bureaucracy of the National Assembly.This is the second time in one month that the bureaucracy is attempting to impose media accreditation modalities.
The attempts are widely seen as an effort to curtail media access to the national parliament.
A statement by the National Assembly‘s Director, Information and Publications, Mr. Monima Daminabo did not offer any explanation as to why the National Assembly was introducing conditions for accreditation of journalists to cover its activities.
"Let me state categorically that Daminabo is acting on his own,"the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mrs. Abike Dabiri, told our correspondent on Monday. "He has not been mandated by the National Assembly to carry out any pruning of correspondents covering events in the National Assembly."
Dabiri's counterpart in the Senate, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, also condemned the move in a letter he wrote to the President of the Senate, Chief Ken Nnamani, on the issue on Monday.
"The purported eligibility criteria for the accreditation of journalists covering the National Assembly are a veiled but bold attempt to not only restrict media access to the Assembly Complex, but also an unacceptable infringement on the freedom of the press.
"The Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, and indeed the leadership of the Senate is not aware, and is not privy to the new eligibility criteria rolled out by Mr. Daminabo.