NBC‘Ll Be Self – Funding Soon — Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
says the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) will soon be
self-funding and stop drawing salaries and allocations from the
Federal Government.

The minister disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at a public
hearing on a bill to amend the NBC establishing Act.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the public hearing
was organised by the House of Representatives Committee on
Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Value.

Mohammed was responding to the provision of the bill that all
money accruing to NBC should be remitted to the Single Treasury
Account (TSA) in line with section 162 of the 1999
Constitution.

“We have a problem with this provision because it is not in line
with the thinking of the government that very soon, NBC will exit
the number of parastatals whose salaries are paid by the Federal
Government.

“Very soon, NBC will have to be paying the salaries of its
members of staff and run its activities.

“If that is the thinking, it will bring a drawback to the
provision in the bill that accruals to the NBC will be paid to TSA
100 per cent,’’ he said.

The minister said that at the moment, 70 per cent of the fund
accruing to NBC was paid to the TSA while the commission retained
30 per cent.

He said the case would be presented to the Ministry of Finance
for advise.

The minister also raised concerns over the provision in the Bill
which prescribed that broadband should be sold absolutely to
buyers.

“Spectrum do not belong to the licensees but to the Federal
Government which can be used either for broadcasting or
telecommunication.

“Where it is recommended that it should be given out forever is
wrong,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the Bill, sponsored by the chairman of the
committee, Rep. Olusegun Odebunmi, seeks to strengthen NBC and make
it more effective to regulate broadcasting. (NAN)

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
says the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) will soon be
self-funding and stop drawing salaries and allocations from the
Federal Government.

The minister disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at a public
hearing on a bill to amend the NBC establishing Act.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the public hearing
was organised by the House of Representatives Committee on
Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Value.

Mohammed was responding to the provision of the bill that all
money accruing to NBC should be remitted to the Single Treasury
Account (TSA) in line with section 162 of the 1999
Constitution.

“We have a problem with this provision because it is not in line
with the thinking of the government that very soon, NBC will exit
the number of parastatals whose salaries are paid by the Federal
Government.

“Very soon, NBC will have to be paying the salaries of its
members of staff and run its activities.

“If that is the thinking, it will bring a drawback to the
provision in the bill that accruals to the NBC will be paid to TSA
100 per cent,’’ he said.

The minister said that at the moment, 70 per cent of the fund
accruing to NBC was paid to the TSA while the commission retained
30 per cent.

He said the case would be presented to the Ministry of Finance
for advise.

The minister also raised concerns over the provision in the Bill
which prescribed that broadband should be sold absolutely to
buyers.

“Spectrum do not belong to the licensees but to the Federal
Government which can be used either for broadcasting or
telecommunication.

“Where it is recommended that it should be given out forever is
wrong,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the Bill, sponsored by the chairman of the
committee, Rep. Olusegun Odebunmi, seeks to strengthen NBC and make
it more effective to regulate broadcasting. (NAN)