Senate urges Nigerian govt to suspend wind down of National Film Board

The Senate on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to suspend the winding down of the National Film and Video Census Board (NFVCB).

This followed the adoption of motion titled: “Urgent Need to Halt Violation of the NFVCB,” sponsored by Senator Ogoshi Onawo during plenary in Abuja.

Onawo had in his presentation, expressed concern over a directive by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, for the immediate wind down of the agency.

Akume had a few weeks ago directed the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, to begin the immediate dissolution of the NFVCB.

The directive was aimed at integrating the NFVCB as a department within the ministry, but bypassed the legal process required to repeal the law establishing the agency.

At the plenary, the lawmaker expressed concern that the SGF’s directive violated the National Film and Video Censors Board Act Cap No.40 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (as amended).

He decried the directive to the ministry to complete the administrative and financial process to wind down the NFVCB within three weeks with effect from June 21.

According to Onawo, the process of winding down an agency of government which came into force through an Act of Parliament should first commence with the repeal of the act establishing the said agency.

He said: “The Oronsaye report is a committee report that should not override an Act of Parliament.

“This issue of abuse of the law, if it goes unchecked, would become a bad precedence going forward.

“There is a need to check this illegality by insisting that the right procedure for winding down a statutory agency be followed.”

In his contribution, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Solomon Adeola, called for adherence to the rule of law on the matter.

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“The law cannot be in existence if the agencies are scrapped. The needful must be done in repealing those laws,” he stated.

In his submission, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said the winding down of the NFVCB would have been an infringement on the Act of Parliament.

He added that the National Assembly was not aware of the implementation of the Oronsaye report.

Akpabio said: “If the President wishes to implement Oronsaye’s report, due process must be followed.

“This means all the Acts of Parliament in existence must be brought before the parliament for further consideration.”

According to him, the President can only proceed with implementation when the parliament agrees.

“You can only begin to implement when the parliament is in agreement with you,” he stated.

The Senate, thereafter, urged the SGF and the minister to suspend the wind-down of the NFVCB.

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