The Federal Government is considering the shutting down of BBNaija, the ongoing reality TV show. This is according to some sources who spoke to The Cable.
Adducing possible fears of raging COVID-19 among the Lockdown housemates, Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, reportedly directed the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to shutdown.
Following the minister’s directive, Armstrong Idachaba, the acting Director-General of the NBC, was said to have informed senior management members of the commission that he had been directed by the minister to shut down the show.
The multiple sources who divulged this information stated that NBC was directed to cite directives from the presidential task force (PTF), as the voice behind the decision when taken.
The NBC management, according to the sources, was however not comfortable with the move to shutdown BBNaija.
With some of the management members saying the directive to shut down the show was baseless, a director was said to have told his colleagues that NBC had earlier sought an explanation from Multichoice, BBNaija organisers, on a possible violation of COVID-19 protocols with the airing of the show.
In response to the required explanation, MultiChoice reportedly detailed the measures taken in collaboration with the Lagos state government, whose agency, Lagos State Safety Commission, gave the green light for the show.
Amongst the measures taken, as stated by MultiChoice, was that housemates had been screened prior to the show.
While the BBNaija house was decontaminated to ensure physical distancing is observed in the house, MultiChoice noted this year’s edition of the show, will be hosted without a live audience.
MultiChoice was also said to have revealed that housemates went through mandatory two-week isolation, during which COVID-19 symptoms would have manifested if they had contracted the disease.