NAN-AE-4
Media
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, June 12, 2017 (NAN) The Director-General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr Rufus Ebegba has called on the media organisations to be objective and avoid sensationalism in the reportage of national issues.
Ebegba gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
He appealed to newsmen to support the efforts of the NBMA to ensure the safety of food consumed by people, their health and the environment for the good of the society.
He said that some Nigerians had constituted themselves to feed the media with unfounded information with the intent of causing panic and instilling fear in Nigerians about genetically modified organisms.
‘’Of late, groups parading themselves as representatives of civil societies and farmers have been going around leading protest for the repeal of the NBMA Act.
‘’There is no iota of truth in what they are saying and I call on the media to probe them and cross-check the information they are reeling out.’’
He said that the same people calling for the scrapping of the agency were part and parcel of the processes that produced the Act passed by the National Assembly.
‘’So for them to turnaround today and say the Act is weak and defective or we should scrap the agency is unpatriotic,’’ he said.
‘’The issue of Biosafety is purely scientific and NBMA is prepared in terms of manpower and facilities to regulate modern technology.
‘’Those calling for the scrapping of the agency or the law setting up the agency want to turn the country into a dumping ground for unwanted genetically modified organisms.’’
He said that the agency was prepared to regulate the technology based on science and not sentiments, therefore, and should be guided by evidence-based science.
‘’We will not be detracted by any sponsored campaign seeking to misinform Nigerians and will continue to carry out its mandate as stipulated in the NBMA Act,’’ Ebegba said. (NAN)
EPA/MOL/GY
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Grace Yussuf