The minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has refuted claims that he directed the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to shut down the ongoing BBNaija reality show from Nigerian airwaves.
A statement made by the media aide to the Minister, Mr. Segun Adeyemi, outrightly distanced the Mohammed from the purported order to the NBC, newsmen report.
Adeyemi said that if the minister gave the order to the commission concerning the reality show, it would have come in the form of a memo and not just verbally.
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Lai Mohammed’s spokesman said: “That statement is not credited to the minister. We will not dignify speculative reports; if a minister issues a directive, it will not be issued verbally.
“There’s going to be a memo to that effect that he will send; anybody that is sure that the minister made that statement should provide a memo.”
Before this, there were reports that Mohammed called on the broadcasting agency to immediately end the show.
According to earlier reports, Mohammed’s directives was forwarded to the acting director-general of the NBC, Armstrong Idachaba, who on Wednesday, July 22, relayed the order to management members of the commission.
However, MultiChoice Ltd, the producers of the BBNaija reality show, had explained to the NBS that it has secured the approval of the Lagos state government having promised housemates and the organising crew that there will be strict adherence to all the safety protocols against COVID-19.
MultiChoice stated that it got the green light to go ahead with the show from Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC).
It was earlier reported that the fifth season of the TV reality show was set to premiere on Sunday, July 19.
The announcement was recently made by the show’s organisers. According to the organisers, the announcement follows the conclusion of the online auditions back in May which recorded over 30,000 entries from interested persons across Nigeria.
The BBNaija reality show season 5 would be broadcast live and alongside the eviction shows and the weekly highlights.
The season’s prize money promises to be bigger including other surprises for viewers and fans of the show.
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The organisers had noted that they would ensure that global best practices, precautions, and preventive measures would be followed throughout the show especially as regards the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
