(MRA/IFEX) – On 26 July 2006, Nigeria’s federal legislature, the National Assembly, outlined a series of harsh requirements that media organizations will be obliged to meet before their reporters are re-accredited to cover the activities of the Senate and House of Representatives. Under the new regulations, the accreditation of all journalists covering the Senate and […]
(MRA/IFEX) – On 26 July 2006, Nigeria’s federal legislature, the National Assembly, outlined a series of harsh requirements that media organizations will be obliged to meet before their reporters are re-accredited to cover the activities of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Under the new regulations, the accreditation of all journalists covering the Senate and House of Representatives has been revoked until journalists meet the new requirements.
The affected journalists must present the current tax clearance certificates of their media establishments before being accredited. They also have to present evidence that their organizations are legally registered.
In a notice signed by Director of Information and Publications of the National Assembly Monima Dominabo, the Legislature said: “In recent times, instances of security breaches in the National Assembly Complex have escalated in number and variety, thereby calling for increased security awareness to guarantee the safety of all and sundry who operate in the National Assembly. Incidentally, some of these breaches have featured miscreants who gained access to the premises, under the cover of fronting as members of the press.”
It continued: “Management appreciates the need to facilitate easy access for all established media houses, within and outside the country, to cover proceedings in the hallowed chambers of the nation’s central legislature.
“However, the same management will be failing in its duty if it does not check any untoward development that is likely to compromise the stability and sanctity of the establishment and premises of the nation’s hub of democracy. This is because of the imperative for management to guarantee the security of all persons and property, within the National Assembly premises.”
The notice claimed that: “Understandably, therefore, the fact that miscreants have penetrated the National Assembly precincts under the cover of the privileges granted the media, has called for re-accreditation of the media operators here by the management. It needs to be emphasized that this initiative enjoys merit as it promises to protect the journalists operating here themselves. This is because, with the commencement of this programme, no person shall be admitted into the National Assembly to work as a journalist without the due accreditation.”
