Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has denied ordering the National Broadcasting Commission stop the live broadcast of reality TV show, Big Brother Naija.
The minister was earlier reported to have ordered the NBC to stop the show on the grounds that it could encourage the spread of the dreaded coronavirus disease among the housemates.
But, in a statement on Saturday, Mohammed denied issuing the directive.
The statement, signed by the minister’s media aide, Segun Adeyemi, read, ”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.”
The housemates were reportedly quarantined for two weeks, to monitor possible symptoms of COVID -19 disease, before the commencement of the fifth season of the reality show on July 19.
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