Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has denied media reports that he ordered the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, NBC, to suspend Big Brother Naija reality show due to COVID-19 risks.
It was widely reported earlier in the week that the minister, in a memo, gave an order to the NBC to stop the reality show due to the risks of the contestants contracting the virus. Following the reports, Nigerians took to social media to lambast the minister for allegedly planning to halt the show.
But in a statement by his media aide on Saturday, the minister debunked the media claim saying the ‘report was not credited to him or his ministry.
Describing the report as speculative, the minister added that there was no memo to support the claim that he ordered the NBC to suspend the show on DSTV.
The statement reads, “The report was not credited to the minister. 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.
“Like I said earlier, we will not dignify speculative report; if you tune your satellite TV to channel 198, I am sure Big Brother Naija is still airing, contrary to the speculative report that the minister has ordered NBC to suspend the show.”
Why not shut dat bbniaja sht off.aint nothing but bull sht that’s fking up our kids.