The National Council for Art and Culture (NCAC) has appealed to lawmakers to empower the council with a legal framework to put an end to nudity displays and activities of cross-dressers in the Country.
The appeal was made by the NCAC Director-General, Segun Runsewe, on Tuesday, during an investigation hearing by an Ad Hoc committee of the House of Representatives.
Runsewe explained that a legislative framework granted by the House will empower the council to sanction Big Brother Naija (BBN) organisers for nudity displayed on the show and as well to prosecute cross-dressers in the Country.
He said; “I am the first person who took Big Brother Nigeria to the NBC to report them and Big Brother (organisers) tried to reach me and I told them that if the culture in other parts of the world is to be naked – nudity, they should not bring it to Nigeria because our culture is rich and it respects the integrity of our Country.”
There is a bill in the House seeking to amend the Same-Sex (Prohibition) Act to prohibit cross-dressing in Nigeria. The amendment, sponsored by a lawmaker representing Toro Federal constituency, Bauchi state, Muda Umar, seeks to amend sections 4 and 5 of the principal act.
The bill proposes that “A person engaging in cross-dressing is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment of six months or a fine of five hundred thousand naira.”
Reacting to the request, a lawmaker representing Abi/Yakurr Federal constituency of Cross River state, Alex Egbonna, complained that Runsewe’s past intervention had not stopped the display of nudes on the show.
NCAC Director- General added; “This honourable House just needs to empower us with just a legal framework and that nonsense will stop.”