The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, on Monday said he would not be a party to any bill that seeks to gag the media.
Gbajabiamila made the assertion at an award ceremony tagged ‘Recognising Good Governance and Legislative Excellence in the Face of Adversity,’ held in Abuja.
The speaker was reacting to calls by some stakeholders to expunge the Press Council Bill which seeks to regulate activities of media in Nigeria.
“I will not be part of any bill that seeks to gag the press. No bill will come to the floor of the House that seeks to gag the press because the press is supposed to be the voice of the people.
“However, there is press freedom and there is freedom of expression; it is important for Nigerians to listen to one another and understand each other so that we can make progress as a nation.
“There is nowhere in the world where freedom of expression in absolute, freedom of expression is limited to the extent that it does not affect another person’s freedom.
“That is made abundantly clear in the Constitution itself. If you go to Section 45, it states that the freedom of expression you have is limited for the sake of security, it is written in black and white.”“In undertaking this noble endeavour, we will continue to rely on your full support,’’ Barkindo said
