*NPC Executive Secretary, Ezughah, Calls For Urgent Agency's Return to Budget

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Press Council, NPC, Dr. Dili Ezughah, has described the removal of the agency from the budget as a human error that needed to be urgently corrected.

Dr. Ezughah stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja.

The Executive Secretary said it was surprising that the council was expunged from the budget on the basis of the Steve Oransaye Committee report even when the White Paper on that report made it clear that the NPC was a regulatory body and that government would continue to support regulatory agencies.

He said the error, which had taken its toll on both the members of staff and the agency itself, must have arisen from someone's misinterpretation of the position of the White Paper on the committee's recommendation.

Dr. Ezughah quoted Section 151 of the White Paper, concerning the NPC, which says: "Government will not continue to fund professional associations. All professional associations are encouraged to register with the CAC. However, government will continue to support regulatory bodies".

He explained that the Nigerian Press Council was set up as a regulatory body, not as a professional association, in the mold of other press councils all over the world.

He further observed that someone must have erroneously categorized the NPC as a professional association.

He, therefore, called on government to take immediate steps to correct the anomaly as the staff of the agency had not received salaries since January this year, with many of them taking their children and wards out of school, while some had lost their accommodations because they could not pay their house rents. He also said the council was yet to receive a dime for carrying out any of its statutory functions since the beginning of the year.