A bill meant to make broadcasting more competitive in the
country was passed through second reading in the House
of Representatives Thursday.

The bill sponsored by Chairman of the House Committee
on Foreign Affairs, Nnena Elendu- Ukeje is titled ” a bill for
an Act to amend the National Broadcast Commission Act
cap N11, laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2014, to provide for competition in Nigeria, promote efficiency and Expand opportunities for Nigerians’ participation in world markets while at the same time recognize the role of foreign completion in Nigeria, and for other matters related
thereto.”

Elendu- Ukeje while speaking on the bill said it is meant to
strengthen the National Broadcast Commission as an
independent regulator.

According to her, the bill will also create room for
competition through deregulation, liberalization,
privatization, ensuring free market operation and also
enforce penalty(s) to parties that go against the provisions
of the law.

The piece of legislation, she said, will prevent price or rate
fixing, price discrimination , restrictive exclusive content,
abuse of dominant market position, and unconstitutional
boycotting.

The proposed law, she said, is a remedy to the obvious
lacuna in the NBC Act and strengthens the NBC as Nigeria
has no set of codified laws that speaks to the subject
matter.

Her words: “this is one sector that does not suffer from
customer ignorance as this sector has been subject to
motions/ petitions on the floor of parliament and litigations
in the court of law.

“Justice Chukwujeku Aneke of the a federal High Court had
on May 28th 2015 dismissed a suit against DSTV over
increase in subscription fees as Nigeria is yet to have a
codified set of rules promoting competition in that market.
“Competition laws exist under different names in different
climes. From antitrust law in the US to anti monopoly laws
in China and Russia, and Trade law in the UK and Australia, the underlying factor for these laws us consumer
protection.”

According to her, Fourth Schedule, Section 39(1) of the
constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria states
expressly that every person shall be entitled to own, establish and operate any medium for the dissemination of
information.

She said the institution went further in Section 16(2c) that
“the state shall direct its policy towards ensuring that the
economic system is not operated in such a manner as to
permit the concentration of wealth or the means of
production and exchange in the hands of few individuals or
groups.

“The intendment of these two provisions is that by
liberalizing communication and media, that the sector be
competitive in line with our economic policies.”

The bill passed through second reading without debate
when the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara called for a voice
vote.


Source: http://thenationonlineng.net/reps-pass-bill-to-break-monopoly-of-dstv/


cc:
Seun
lalasticlala

Nice One......Our Legislators are gradually waking up from their slumber

Good news