The Federal Government Friday issued an apology to Nigerians on the prevailing power situation in the country which it attributed to gas failure, sabotage and vandalization of power infrastructure.
Lai Mohammed
Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed in a statement in Abuja said all efforts were being made to rectify the situation and ensure a gradual improvement in the power situation.
”There will be a decent improvement in the power situation from this weekend, thanks to ongoing remedial efforts that will double the current power supply to 4,000WM. Getting back to the 5,074MW all-time high that was reached earlier will take a few more weeks,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed said at a time the routine maintenance by the Nigeria Gas Company has affected the supply of gas to power stations, forcing down power supply from an all-time high of 5,074 MW to about 4,000MW, a combination of unsavoury incidents further crashed the power supply to about half that figure.
He said: ”The vandalization of the Forcados export pipelines forced oil companies to shut down, making it impossible for them to produce gas. Then, workers at the Ikeja Discos, who were protesting the disengagement of some of their colleagues after they failed the company’s competency test, apparently colluded with the National Transmission Station in Osogbo to shut down transmission.
“The unfortunate strike by the unions at the NNPC, over the restructuring of the Corporation, shut down the Itarogun Power Station, the biggest in the country. Due to these factors, only 13 out of the 24 power stations in the country are currently functioning. It is this same kind of unsavoury situation that has affected fuel supply and subjected Nigerians to untold hardship.”
The Minister condemned some Nigerians who he said “will continuously sabotage the country’s power infrastructure” under the guise of the various unions in the oil and gas sector or sheer vandalization.
”The bitter truth is that for as long as these groups of Nigerians continue to sabotage the power infrastructure, Nigerians cannot enjoy a decent level of power supply. We therefore admonish all Nigerians who may be agitating for their rights in whatever form to refrain from any action that will further hurt the same people they claim to be protecting,” he said.
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the convocation of a national economic conference aimed at rallying the country together to offer solutions to the current economic challenges facing Nigeria.
President Buhari
A top government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed this to a group of journalists in Abuja on Thursday.
The approval came barely a week after Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, called on the President to summon an emergency economic meeting to recommend specific solutions to the nation’s prevailing economic challenges to save the country’s economy from further drift.
The nation’s currency has slumped drastically against the dollar in recent months due largely to the scarcity of the foreign currency and the tough regulations of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
This appeared to have led to spiralling inflation in the country as most products are produced abroad, putting the nation’s foreign reserves and currency under intense pressure.
The price of crude oil in the international market has continued to fall since November 2014, threatening to frustrate the provisions of the nation’s N6.07tn 2016 budget.
Soyinka, who made the call when he visited the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Abuja last Thursday, had said experts and consumers should be invited to the meeting.
“The President should call an emergency economic conference with experts to be invited – consumers, producers, labour unions, university experts, professors, etc. I think we really need an emergency economic conference, a rescue operation, bringing as many heads as possible together to plan the way forward,” Soyinka had said.
But the government source said the idea of the economic conference, which had tentatively been fixed for March 10 and 11, was first discussed at the 65th National Economic Council meeting held on January 28.
The council, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, had all the state governors and the Central Bank Nigeria Governor, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and some ministers as members.
It has a constitutional role of advising the President on economic matters.
The source said the NEC members had in their deliberations called for a major conference, where the current economic situation of the country could be thoroughly discussed by all the states and the Federal Government.
He added that in approving the idea, the President himself would declare the conference open and participate fully in order to demonstrate his personal commitment to the idea.
He said the views of the private sector and non-state actors would also be sought at the conference.
The source explained that well-respected global experts were expected at the conference to aggregate the views of other governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental institutions.
The government official stated, “The NEC retreat, as is being called by the Federal Government and the states, becomes imperative amid dwindling oil prices with a direct and significant impact on the money now available for federal allocation and sharing between the FG, states and local government councils.
“For instance, the FG states and local governments shared a sum of N370.4bn a few days ago for the month of January 2016, which is a drop of more than N17bn from the N387.8bn shared the previous month of December last year.
“That could be compared for instance with what was shared in January 2014, which was N629bn and N503.6bn the previous December, both higher significantly than the present situation.
“Another concern of the FG and the states necessitating the economic conference is the drop in foreign reserves of the country, which is now already below $30bn and compelling the CBN to adopt tough forex measures, including the ban on certain items from forex funding and rationing.
“The depreciation of the value of naira has also become an attendant impact of the foreign exchange scarcity.”
He added that it was the President’s expectation that the conference would be solution-centered and also create an opportunity to rally the nation, the FG, states and private sector together for a clear and mutually beneficial economic direction.
“It is interesting that a respectable Nigerian (Soyinka) recently raised the idea of a national economic conference earlier this month, the same idea that had been decided by members of NEC at their January meeting. It shows there is indeed a wide consensus on the idea,” he said.
He explained that although government was not calling the conference an emergency one, it was clear that both federal and state governments agreed on the need to discuss frankly and develop innovative ways to take the country out of the economic challenges of the day.
The source explained that while the FG was clear on what direction it intended to drive the country economically, there was the need to rally the entire nation.
He said there was the need to call on the government and the people to tighten their belts and prepare for sacrifice.
“The President has already set the tone for frugality in spending by cutting off routine security votes among other cost-cutting measures.
“Besides, the idea of a Zero-Based Budgeting and Treasury Single Account are parts of the attempt by the Federal Government to tighten public revenues and finance,” he added.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will not relent in his war against corruption until the scourge is destroyed in the country.
Lai Mohammed
He also called on Nigerians to join the battle against corruption in the country.
“This is not Buhari’s war; this is not the All Progressives Congress’ war. This is a war for all Nigerians and we must all join hands in waging the war,’’ Mohammed said while delivering a lecture on Friday at the Faculty of Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
He claimed that once the people were determined to fight corruption, they were assured of victory.
The minister said, ‘’No power has ever been great enough to defeat a people who are determined to win. Let us all form what I call citizens’ coalition against corruption by speaking up against the crime, refusing to glorify or support looters, irrespective of how much dirty cash they dangle before us, and refusing to be divided along religious or ethnic lines.”
While listing the effects of corruption in the nation, the minister said Nigeria lost $400bn in the oil sector alone, adding that so much money was stolen by corrupt leaders from the health, education, security and other sectors.
According to him, atrocities committed by the Boko Haram insurgents continued for many years because the funds allocated to buy weapons for the military were shared by some corrupt persons.
Apart from massive loss of lives and property, Mohammed stated that corruption in public office had caused endemic poverty, poor infrastructure and lack of qualitative health care, among other effects.
The minister, however, claimed that corruption had started fighting back, saying some of the corrupt persons had started hiring hack writers, pseudo analysts to attack the President’s war against corruption in the media.
He said, “On the part of government, let me reiterate what I said earlier that there is no stopping this fight. Those who doubt the resolve of this administration to successfully wage this battle will learn a tough lesson, a lesson of their lives.
“Failure is not an option in this fight. In the days ahead, we plan a road show of sorts on corruption sensitisation efforts.”
Mohammed decried the use of ethno-religious sentiment to weaken the anti-corruption war, but asked Nigerians to ignore the trick “because poverty and other effects of corruption did not discriminate between people according to ethnicity or religious beliefs.”
• Minister says anti-graft war not against political foes
DESPITE the huge increases in the country’s yearly budget in the past 17 years, the poverty level among Nigerians, rather than decrease, has worsened, the Federal Government has said.
Lai Mohammed
The government also said its fight against corruption was meant to count the cost and not to vilify anyone.
Speaking at a meeting with journalists in Lagos yesterday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed that Nigeria’s national budget increased from over N900 billion in 1999 to over N6 trillion in 2016, adding that at the same time, poverty also increased almost by the same proportion.
“The reason is not far-fetched: appropriated funds mostly ended up in the pockets of a few. When funds meant for construction of roads are looted, the end result is that the roads are not built and the people suffer and even die in avoidable road accidents.
“When the money meant to provide electricity is looted, we all are perpetually sentenced to darkness. When the money meant for healthcare is pocketed by a few, we are unable to reduce maternal and infant mortality. These are the costs of corruption.”
He said this manifested more in a comparative analysis of the number of ‘Dasukigate’ beneficiaries and the amount they collected from the office of the National Security Adviser in 2015 on one hand, and the list of projects and amounts across the nation in the zonal intervention project of 2015 appropriation act.
According to him, while “the sum of N51.829 billion was appropriated for 1,278 projects in the zonal intervention projects for 2015, a total of 21 individuals and companies benefited from the Dasukigate to the tune of N54.659 billion as we know so far.”
The implication, he noted, was that the amount received by 21 individuals and companies was more than the 2015 zonal intervention projects budget by N2.829 billion.
“The value of what beneficiaries of Dasukigate contributed to development is zero, compared to how the lives of Nigerians would have been transformed, poverty reduced and livelihoods improved by the zonal intervention projects which – as we have shown – would have cost N2.829 billion less than Dasukigate,” Mohammed added.
The minister denied claims by critics that the government was dwelling too much on the war against corruption to the detriment of other areas of governance, saying that the situation was very grim and had to be tackled squarely.
He said that the objective of the war against corruption and particularly the sensitisation campaign embarked upon by the government was not to denigrate anyone or group but to count the cost of corruption in the country.
His words: “Our response to that is that indeed, there is nothing like dwelling too much on this war. The situation is very grim indeed, as far as corruption is concerned. That is why the Federal Government is embarking on this sensitisation campaign. Our approach – which is to count the cost of corruption– is not to vilify anyone but to use facts and figures to give Nigerians a sense of what corruption has done to their lives.”
Last week, the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, went to town with the news that N1.34 trillion had been stolen from the treasury by 55 public officials in eight years, that is, between 2006 and 2013.
Lai Mohammed
In a follow up interview with Sunday Vanguard, the Minister said Nigerians determined to get the identity of the alleged looters could get them in courts. He also spoke on some other national issues.
Anti—corruption crusade is apparently the issue of the moment. What is the update?
Talking about corruption, it is time we brought into perspective what corruption has done to our nation, our people and our international image, how corruption stifles economic growth, hinders the fight against poverty, leads to decay in infrastructure and reduces educational standards, lowers life expectancy, stunts the fight against maternal and infant mortality and impacts negatively on the general livelihood of the citizens.
The situation is dire and the time to act is now. For example, between 2006 and 2013, just 55 people allegedly stole a total of 1.34 trillion Naira in Nigeria. That’s more than a quarter of last year’s national budget! Out of the stolen funds, 15 former Governors allegedly stole 146.84 billion naira; four former Ministers allegedly stole 7 billion naira; 12 former public servants, both at federal and state levels, allegedly stole over 14 billion Naira; eight people in the banking industry allegedly stole 524 billion Naira; while 11 businessmen allegedly stole 653 billion naira.
Now, what does these figures translate to in the actual sense? In other words, what is the cost of these stolen funds for Nigerians?
Using World Bank rates and costs, the stolen amount would have built 1,905 kilometres of roads, 108 ultra modern hospitals, built 549 schools, educated 11,922 children from primary to tertiary level at 25.24 million naira per child, and built 60,186 units of 2-bedroom houses. This is the money that a few people, just 55, allegedly stole in eight years. And instead of a national outrage, all we hear are these nonsensical statements that the government is fighting only the opposition, or that the government is engaging in vendetta.
Irrespective of your political, religious or tribal leanings, and not minding whether you belong to the APC, PDP, SDP or Labour Party, if you have stolen public funds, you must not go scot-free. You must return the funds to the treasury and face prosecution. Nigerians must know that they cannot get the best even from the very best government if the scourge of corruption is not tackled decisively. Everyone and every arm of government must rise up to be counted in this epic war, and defeat is not an option if our country is to survive. As President Muhammadu Buhari likes to say, if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria. There is no better way to say it.
Everyone and every arm of government must be involved in the fight against corruption, which is one of the cardinal programmes of the Buhari administration. Irrespective of what anyone may say, President Buhari is leading this fight by example and right from the front. His unparalleled integrity, his uncommon love of country and his undiluted dedication to service all put him in good stead to wage this war, and we must all support him and own the war in order to ensure its success. This is not Buhari’s war. This is not APC’s war. This is Nigeria’s war.
Questionable court orders
Equally critical to the success of the war is the judiciary. Unless this very important arm of government fully joins in waging this war and does not consider it business as usual, the pending cases of corruption will just drag on until they outlast this administration. I am not saying this lightly at all. A situation in which a single court issued five orders all in favour of those being prosecuted for corruption in 2015 alone calls for concern.
In one case, the court granted an ex-parte order staying all actions in connection with any allegation of corruption or other wrong doing which has been the subject of investigation by the EFCC and the House of Representatives. The same court declared unconstitutional the arrest of two applicants, despite exhibit of the criminal charge pending against the applicants, and ordered the de-freezing of the applicants’ account, even after the court had been informed of the existence of a subsisting freezing order by the High Court in Lagos on the account. The same court ordered the EFCC to de-freeze the accounts of people implicated in the laundering of 4.5 billion Naira and perpetually restrained the EFCC from investigating them, after they were invited for an interview by the commission.
The same court stopped the investigation and arrest of an accused, and ordered the release of 2.2 million dollars seized from him. And, finally, the court ordered that the accused implicated in the laundering of over 1 billion dollars should not be harassed or intimidated and his seized international passport be released. You can judge for yourselves whether these orders help or hinder the fight against corruption.
In the days ahead, we intend to carry this sensitization programme to all the corners of the country, leveraging on the wide reach of the National Orientation Agency (NOA). We also intend to partner with other agencies of government, especially the anti-corruption agencies and the police, as well as the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption. We have no doubt that if Nigerians know the true costs of corruption to their lives and well-being, they will be less susceptible to swallowing the frivolous, self-serving and orchestrated distractions from the corrupt people and their benefactors and beneficiaries. We must kill corruption before it kills us.
But Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, who is a leader of the opposition PDP, has challenged you to mention the names of the 55 Nigerians who alleged stole these funds.
My answer to him (Fayose) is that those people who stole the money know themselves.
But shouldn’t government disclose the looters’ names or publish them?
If you go our courts, you will find their names, we are not just compiling new names
Mixed reactions are trailing President Muhammadu Buhari’s media chat
I think Mr President was forthright and candid in his response to issues; so how can anybody say he was not forthcoming? He was very forthcoming on every issue. On his asset declaration, he said he had done his duty, it was for you to go to the Code of Conduct Bureau to find out. He went further to say that if they don’t allow you, you can go to court. All he said is that he had declared his assets and he made it public. Anyone who is interested in knowing the details can go to the Code of a Conduct Bureau and if they stop you there, you should know what to do. On the Dasuki issue, he was forthright. The conclusion I draw from what the President said during the chat is that he was asking all of us how the cause of justice will be better served? Is it by giving Dasuki bail or he absconds or he is allowed to have his day in court?
On the President’s position on the NASS and the electricity tariff and removal of fuel subsidy
What I understand from Mr President’s statement is that, given the cost of crude, there is no subsidy element if PMS is sold for N85. The President said it is not a matter of removing subsidy or not, the reality today is that with the present cost of crude, under $40, government is not subsidizing anybody by selling refined petrol at N85. So why should we go to the National Assembly with a bill? He went further to say that what government needs to do now is to ensure that our refineries are working. When they are working, we will be importing less fuel and,, that way, even if the price of crude goes up, if we can refine the 445,000 barrel of crude per day, that will be more than 60 per cent of our needs.
Electricity tariff
This tariff was actually approved and was supposed to have been implemented just before the 2015 elections. But for political reasons, the then President said it should not be implemented. The new minister must have met with the major stakeholders and listened to them. We cannot on the one hand need power and not pay for what I call price reflective tariff.
What I know the minister also did was that he abolished the basic tariff and that increase really should not be seen in terms of percentage, but in terms of naira and kobo. The real increase might look huge in terms of percentage but in terms of naira and kobo, it goes between 12kobo and N1. What I don’t know is whether, the first time the tariff was increased and implemented before it was reversed, had the assent of the National Assembly.
His critics on Boko Haram
It is either my critics are misinformed, ignorant or mischievous or they have their own agenda because they all sit down in their small rooms and comment on what they know little or nothing about. What I said, which has attracted so much criticism, is that the military had largely met the deadline of defeating Boko Haram by December 31, 2015 and I backed it with facts and figures. For instance, I said that about a year ago, Boko Haram was in firm control of at least 30 local governments in Nigeria. They were controlling a territory the size of an entire geo-political zone but that, today, they have been decimated and pushed out of those local governments. They might be operating from one or two but they are definitely not in control.
I also said that Boko Haram had been so dealt with that they lacked the capacity to unleash the kind of mayhem they used to unleash before, like coming to attack police headquarters, United Nations complex or our barracks or garrisons. Today, they have been reduced to cowardly attacks on soft targets.
I also said in my statement that this defeat does not mean the end of suicide bombings, it does not mean the end of attacks on soft targets, but that this is a time that we civilians must take over the civilian components of the fight, that will start with national security awareness.
How do you identify suicide bombers? How do you make sure that your parks and cinema houses are better secured. I had also appealed to the media that they should look at the war from a more patriotic viewpoint and that in time of war, nobody can afford to be neutral and that they should please refrain from glamourising Boko Haram and giving them oxygen.
So, I do not see how anybody can fault these facts. I would have been worried, for instance, if they have retaken any territory we had taken from them, that is when I would see relevance and I had also said that we expect these spikes in their attacks before they would want to prove that the army has not met the deadline. It would be part of their propaganda. I have been to the liberated areas but they critics have not been there; so whatever information they are receiving is second hand or third hand. I have been there and I have seen the gallantry of our soldiers. I stand by what I have said and I am happy that my position was re-echoed by Mr President.
GOVERNOR Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has challenged the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to make public names of the 15 former governors and 55 Nigerians that he claimed stole N1.34 trillion between 2006 and 2013.
Fayose vows to lead opposition against APC
Fayose said, “The reality is that the All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government has destroyed the economy within eight months in power and rather than look for solutions to the problems facing Nigeria, Lai Mohammed and his cohorts are branding bogus figures about stolen money just to cover up their lack of solution to the country’s economic problems.”
Recall that Lai Mohammed had disclosed that former governors, ministers, businessmen, public servants and bankers stole approximately N1.34 trillion between 2006 and 2013 in the country.
The governor, who also described as disgraceful, bringing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh to court in handcuff, argued that “even the masterminds of Madala and Nyanya bomb blasts, Kabiru Sokoto and Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche were not handcuffed when they were arraigned in court.”
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said it was funny that close to one year after it won the presidential election, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government was still operating as if it was campaigning for votes.
The governor argued that “they are turning governance to Nollywood, such that when one movie is about to end, they release another one. As it appears that the $2.1 billion arms deal movie is getting to an end, Lai Mohammed introduced another movie titled; N1.34 trillion loot.
“Unfortunately for them this time around, Nigerians have become tired of watching the Federal Government movies, they now want reality. Nigerians are now aware of the scam in the $2.1 billion arms deal movie, having seen that the amount those already charged to court were charged with is not more than N10 billion and $2.1 billion is over N600 billion.
“Therefore, Lai Mohammed must either tell Nigerians details of the 15 former governors and 55 people that he claimed stole N1.34 trillion, where the stolen money is kept and bring back the money or apologise to Nigerians for lying.”
While describing the persistent claim by the Federal Government that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) destroyed Nigeria for 16 years as hypocritical, Governor Fayose said Nigerians must begin to ask which party majority of those presently ruling the country under the APC government were between 1999 and 2014.
“Majority of those who ran the Federal Government between 1999 and 2003 under the PDP are in the APC government today. President, vice president, ministers, governors, senators and House of Reps members who were part of the PDP government are now in APC. Yet, APC keeps telling Nigerians that PDP ruined the country. This hypocrisy must stop,” he said.
The governor, who insisted that due process of the law must be followed in fighting corruption, noted that disobedience to court orders itself is a criminal offence that is more grievous than corruption.
He said no amount of harassment and intimidation will silence opposition in the country, saying President Buhari and his men should rather get used to the reality that opposition must exist in a democracy.
The Minister of Information, Mr. Lai Mohammed, has said a past administration spent N2bn for the repair of a leaky roof at the National Theatre.
Lai Mohammed
The minister made the revelation on Saturday during a courtesy visit to Prof. Wole Soyinka in his office at the Freedom Park in Lagos.
Mohammed, who lamented the poor state of the edifice, however, did not say which administration spent the amount.
He said he could not say for sure if the money was actually spent.
Mohammed added that the Federal Government was planning to initiate a Public-Private Partnership that would help transform the theatre to become the pride of the nation.
Soyinka, in his speech, said President Muhammadu Buhari was fighting the biggest anti-corruption war in Nigerian history.
He also commended the progress the President has so far made in the fight against graft especially in the $2.1bn arms scam.
The playwright said it was unfortunate that during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, money earmarked to fight terrorism was embezzled while children were abducted and soldiers sent to the warfront to combat terrorists without arms.
When asked if the anti-corruption war would stop abruptly like those of previous administrations, Soyinka said, “I don’t think that will happen this time and the reason is this: We have not had corruption being exposed on this scale before. We have not had a situation where it is being alleged and increasingly proved that money which was supposed to have been spent on defending our nation, ourselves and our neighbourhood has been shared among individuals.
“We have never had the experience where we were in a state of critical emergency where children were being kidnapped under our noses and we were helpless and our soldiers were being sent to the warfront to defend our very existence and we were not backing them up with conduct that shows integrity and commitment.
“During the civil war, I am not aware, may be it existed on this scale, I am not aware but I am just saying that as somebody that has gone through a civil war, even though some of us spent it in prison, I have not heard such exposé.”
Soyinka noted that the anti-graft war would not be easy because whenever anyone fights corruption, corruption fights back.
He, however, said plans by corrupt individuals to frustrate the anti-graft war would only intensify the war.
Asked if the anti-graft war would yield positive results, he said, “Yes, I am confident. I promise you that if I am proven wrong, I will give you my best bottle of wine.”
Reacting to allegations levelled against him by the Governor Nyesom Wike-led Rivers State Government that he partook in the sharing of N84m allegedly mismanaged by former Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Soyinka said the allegation was insulting.
He said he was waiting for an invitation letter from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The Nobel laureate, however, joked that he would pretend to be sick if they attempted to whisk him away.
He added, “Anybody who wants to talk to me about this issue, as I said, you know where I live, I am a great respecter of the law. If you go properly, I will answer your invitation.”
Meanwhile, Niger Delta activist, Ms. Annkio Briggs, has criticised the revered playwright for his reaction to Wike‘s allegation against Amaechi on how he spent N82m.
Soyinka, in a statement titled ‘Those who flounder in the sewage of corruption,’ on Thursday, had described the allegation as a distraction and a sign of insecurity on the part of Wike.
Briggs, in a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, supported Wike, arguing that the governor’s allegation was raised against Amaechi, who is now the Minister of Transportation, and not Soyinka.
She said, “This is not a criticism about Soyinka per se. It is simply about facing the reality in Nigeria today. It is about the funds of Rivers State and how it was spent in Amaechi’s tenure and the fact that Wike is bringing up the issue today is exactly and precisely what the President of Nigeria is also doing. So, I do not believe the criticism that is being meted out on Wike is justified.’’
The politics of pull-him-down is on display at a trade fair craftily packaged to cast a dent on the good name and image of Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture.
Lai Mohammed
If there is any doubt that Lai Mohammed, the immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been pencilled down for an orchestrated campaign of calumny, recent events and the plethora of uncharitable and unwarranted attacks on his person by those who see him as a thorn in their flesh have obliterated all those doubts.
It is evident that there is a gang- up from very well anticipated quarters of disgruntled and discredited politicians and their hangers-on to target the Honourable Minister through sponsored pseudo write-ups in a systematic media hate game aimed at demonising him.
Lai Mohammed, for the avoidance of doubt, is one of the very few Nigerians who meticulously and creditably performed what has variously been described as pure magic by presenting the then opposition party, APC, as a credible alternative to then ruling party, PDP. Today, the APC is the governing party, and the PDP has not and probably will never forgive Lai.
The fact that the achievements of the man are still been talked about with relish and nostalgia is a testimony to his great feat that helped to decimate the PDP.
But pray, how can it be a crime that Lai Mohammed played a pivotal role in changing the nature of politics and information management system in Nigeria? In a saner clime, and regardless of his political leanings, Lai Mohammed would have been so venerated that his strategies would have become a course of study.
However, to those who see him as the architect of their downfall, he must be attacked, hence they have rallied fake hack writers, who have been going from one fickle medium to another blaming the man for everything.
Even in his new role as the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed’s exploits have not gone unnoticed. Realizing that one of the keys to successful democratic governance is to ensure effective and sustainable communication between the government and its citizens, the Minister started off by holding a series of consultations and interactive meetings with stakeholders in the information sector, including the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Radio and Television Theatre Workers Union (RATTAWU) and Civil Society Organisations.
It is also remarkable that unlike the norm in this clime, the Minister has directed government-controlled media not to deny the opposition the opportunity to be heard. This is impressive, considering what some of these media establishments did to his party in its days in opposition.
Despite the daily attacks on the person of Lai Mohammed, the good news is that Nigerians are so discerning that no one can deceive them. Much as they attempted to demonise the man before and during the last general elections, Nigerians sided with him by rewarding his party with their votes, which in turn propelled the party to power.
That explains why, despite the packaged and unrelenting media attacks against him, Lai Mohammed’s hard-earned reputation remains rock solid, especially as he has also availed himself creditably in his new role as the country’s image maker.
It will, therefore, do the anti-Lai Mohammed drum beaters and their pay masters a lot of good if they could quickly realise the nullity of their actions and retrace their steps for good.
Thousands of empty sponsored write-ups would not suffice against an innocent man whose only offence is that he is part of a team that is assiduously working to lay the foundation of the rebirth of a new Nigeria.
Their latest past time is to blame Lai for rallying support for the military in the war against insurgency, yet it is on record that this military, which has been given a new lease of life by President Muhammadu Buhari, has successfully degraded the capacity of the Boko Haram insurgents to take over any part of the nation’s territory as against what was witnessed during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Also, it is common knowledge that the insurgents, who at one time controlled territories in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, have now been dislodged from their strongholds and sent fleeing.
Therefore, what Lai Mohammed told Editors in Lagos recently about the Boko Haram war is pure reality that can be substantiated.
It was not a surprise, then, that no less a personality than President Buhari himself, in a recent interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), corroborated the minister’s position on the feat achieved by the military in the North East, saying his government has technically won the war against the Boko Haram insurgency.
Instead of joining hands with the military in its efforts to carry its onerous responsibility, they have resorted to attacking anyone who claims that the war is progressing very well and is mostly won. In this regard, their favourite whipping boy is again Lai Mohammed.
Those who still believe in Nigeria and the ability of the present government to overcome the huge challenges facing the nation must not cede the space to the naysayers. They must tackle them the same way they did in the run-up to the elections that gave the APC victory. They must join hands with the Minister of Information and Culture to continuously work to bridge the information gap between the government and the citizenry, in the overall interest of the corporate existence of the country.
Lagos—The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has expressed optimism that despite the recent attacks by insurgent, the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari’s would technically defeat Boko Haram before the end of this December deadline.
Lai Mohammed
Meantime, he also assured Nigerians that the National Art Theatre will not be sold for whatever reason as been speculated in some quarters.
Mohammed made the remarks in Lagos yesterday, while briefing newsmen. He was accompanied by representatives of the Lagos Police Command and Department of State Services, DSS, at the premises of the National Theatre shortly after inspecting facilities at the complex as part of the tour of the parastatals under his ministry.
Reacting to attacks on Jiddari Polo, and Adawari Village, near Maiduguri metropolis, both in Borno State, where scores of people were killed between Sunday and Monday, the Minister said, “We have been vindicated because Bokom Haram have been decapitated compared to the past records.”
While insisting that Boko Haram sect has been technically defeated by the Nigerian military, Muhammed said the pockets of attacks still being witnessed in the country could not be compared to what the near war situation the sect subjected the country to same time last year.
National Theatre
On the National Theatre, Muhammed said; “We are not averse to a Public-Private Partnership, PPP, arrangement that will add value to the iconic (National Art Theatre) complex. The process of selecting a preferred bidder under the PPP arrangement is currently under way.
‘’The National Theatre is a national monument and a tourist attraction. We will not allow it to go derelict or become a magnet for hoodlums. This monument is the pride of the nation, and it has always served as the point of convergence for Nigerians seeking fun and relaxation, especially during festive periods, and a centre for the promotion of arts and culture,’’ he said.
Muhammed added that the security around the complex would be beefed up to prevent a recurrence of the molestation by hoodlums of fun seekers at the National Theatre on Christmas Day, and also ensure the safety of the priceless artefacts within the complex.
Earlier, the General Manager of the National Theatre, Mallam Kabir Yusuf Yar’Adua, conducted the Minister around the facilities at the complex, which include; the banquet, cinema and exhibition halls, the sub-power station, the water works, the police post and the artiste village, among others.
(An Open Letter to the Honourable Minister of Information of the Federal Republic of Nigeria)
Dear Honourable Minister Lai Mohammed,
Greetings and congratulations on your recent and well deserved appointment as Nigeria’s Minister of Information.
Reno Omokri
You may recall that we met on the set of ‘Politics Today’ in May of 2011 soon after I was interviewed by Deji Bademosi and just before you were interviewed.
The purpose of my letter to you today is in response to your statement made on Monday the 21st of December, 2015 in which you accused former President Goodluck Jonathan, whom I served as one of three spokesmen, of being responsible for the current excruciating fuel scarcity now subsisting in Nigeria.
Your exact words were “What I will be telling Nigerians is that what we met on ground is such that we are paying for the sins of the last administration…..One of the reasons for the fuel scarcity was the inability of the last government to make adequate provision for fuel subsidy”.
My candid take on your message to Nigerians is that it is an abdication of responsibility on your part and does not project you and the government you represent as being responsible.
Government, as you very well know, is a continuum. One government takes over from where the other stopped and to say that an action in December of 2015 (six months after ex President Jonathan handed over to the incumbent on May 29th, 2015, ) is the fault of the last President, is to confer super human powers on Jonathan.
To prove to you that it is wrong to blame the former President, I will quote the words of the incumbent President.
A month ago, President Buhari, while speaking to the Nigerian community in the Iranian capital, Tehran, said “I believe if you are in touch back at home, you would have been told that already there is some improvement in power”.
Those were the words of President Muhammadu Buhari in Tehran on November 25th, 2015.
You, Honourable Minister, also boasted about the improvement in power back in August 2015, when you attributed the improvement to the ‘body language’ of the ‘new sheriff’ in town.
You may recall that you said “I say it anywhere I go that even though we have not added one single megawatt to power, there has been improvement. My colleagues in the PDP will say no; that’s not true. But I maintain that this improvement is as a result of the kind of integrity that President Buhari has brought to leadership.”
Now, you and I know that despite what you said about the President’s “body language”, there is absolutely no way that any action or inaction of President Muhammadu Buhari could have led to an improvement in power.
All the new power stations that have come on stream this year were either built or completed by Jonathan. Absolutely all of them were conceived, funded, built and commissioned by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidents, the same party that you said had destroyed Nigeria.
On October 19th, 2013, then President Jonathan completed and commissioned the 530 Megawatts Omotosho Power station Phase 2 begun by his predecessor.
On February 20th, 2015, he commissioned the 750 MW Olorunsogo II Power Station in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
On March 24th, 2015, Jonathan also commissioned the Phase I 504MW (Simple Cycle Gas) Alaoji Power Plant at Umuobasi-Ukwu, Abia State.
Former President Jonathan was also the leader who successfully privatized major chunks of our power generation and distribution infrastructure. He also created the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading PLC.
So concerned was President Jonathan to know the state of electricity provision that I had to do regular, sometimes weekly, polls and surveys on Twitter to get the public’s feedback on the state of power in their locales.
Yet, despite all these, President Buhari and you, Honourable Minister, were not shy at taking credit for the improvement in electricity in far away Tehran and Lagos at various times this year.
One wonders why the same “integrity” you credited for automatically improving power cannot provide fuel?
Don’t you think it is a bit rich to blame ex President Jonathan for the current fuel subsidy especially given the fact that leading lights of your party resisted and rejected the ex President’s move to do away with fuel subsidy by deregulating the down stream sector of the petroleum sector?
Indeed Honourable Minister, you may recall that as the National Publicity Secretary of the then Action Congress of Nigeria, you released a statement condemning the then government’s plans to deregulate the petroleum industry and remove fuel subsidy and also said that the removal of fuel subsidy was “a threat to Nigeria’s unity”.
Sir, you would agree with me that it is only honourable to take the bitter with the sweet.
I am reminded of my 10 year old daughter’s comments to me every time I accuse her of watching too much television. She quotes a line from the Disney movie, ‘A Bug’s Life’ in which Hopper says to Atta “First rule of leadership: Everything is your fault”.
If my daughter at 10 is aware of this rule, shouldn’t a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who also happens to be over 60 years of age, and who also happens to be the official spokesperson of the current administration know this rule?
A bad workman may blame his tools, but it takes an irresponsible workman to blame his predecessor!
When Jonathan became President on May 6th, 2010, he met a comatose railway network. He did not blame his predecessors. Rather, he went to work.
Within two years, he successfully rehabilitated a significant portion of our national railway infrastructure and had restored intra and inter city routes for the first time decades. He made it possible for Nigerians to travel from Lagos to Kano for less than $10 (₦1600).
There were services from Port Harcourt to Enugu, Makurdi to Port Harcourt and Gombe-Kafanchan-Kaduna to mention but a few.
For the first time in decades, there was a direct rail transport from Tin Can Island Port in Lagos all the way to Kano with stops along the way.
Jonathan successfully built the brand new standard gauge 187 kilometer Abuja-Kaduna railway which will make it possible to live in Kaduna and work in Abuja.
Within Lagos, he introduced air conditioned fast Diesel Multiple Unit trains, the first of its type in Nigeria.
I quite remember that when I wrote about these accomplishments, members and sympathizes of your party publicly labeled me a liar.
I remained a liar in the eyes of the Nigerian public until my recent surprise vindication by the new Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, who said while on a familiarization tour of the Nigerian Railway Corporation as follows “in fact, I think we have a problem; most people don’t believe that the railway transport is functioning in Nigeria. I didn’t even know, until I started this tour, I never knew that the railway was functioning, it was even from his (MD’s) speech that I learnt that there are some coaches or services that go to Kano or Port Harcourt or elsewhere. So we need to make people become more aware that the narrow gauge is working, and that people can still use it to travel around that country.”
Now, Honourable Minister Lai Mohammed, who do we blame for this remarkable progress in our rail sector?
Let me end this letter to you with a quote from best selling author, Dr. Steve Maraboli: “It’s time to care; it’s time to take responsibility; it’s time to lead; it’s time for a change; it’s time to be true to our greatest self; it’s time to stop blaming others.”
Thank you and be assured of my continued loyalty and support to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Regards,
Reno.
Reno Omokri, former Special Assistant on New Media to President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Federal Government has said the military has met the deadline set for it by President Muhammadu Buhari to wipe out terrorism by the end of December, 2015.
Lai Mohammed
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this in an interactive session with senior newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday, according to a statement made available to our correspondent in Abuja.
Insisting that the Boko Haram insurgents had largely been defeated, Mohammed added that the December 31 deadline, given to the military by the President to defeat the insurgent, had been met.
He said, “Today, I can report to you that the entire 70-plus kilometre stretch (territories) from Maiduguri to Bama and all the way to Banki (which leads to Cameroon and the Central African Republic) are in the hands of our gallant troops.
“Our soldiers’ presence can be felt every few metres along the road that skirts the Sambisa Forest. At a point along that road, we were just about two kilometres to the Sambisa Forest, which is continuously being pounded by our dedicated and patriotic military.
“That brings me to the issue of the December 31, 2015 deadline issued by President Muhammadu Buhari to our military to defeat the terrorists. Based on what I saw during my trip to the liberated areas of Borno State (which by the way is the epicentre of the war) and the briefings I received from the Chief of Defence Staff and the Theatre Commander, I can confidently inform you that our gallant military has largely met that deadline.
“They have so degraded the capability of Boko Haram that the terrorists can no longer hold on to any territory, just as they can no longer carry out any spectacular attacks. Remember, gentlemen, that at the height of the war, Boko Haram controlled 20 of the 27 local governments in Borno. Today, they do not control any local government anywhere.”
He added, “I can hear you saying to yourself, ‘but the terrorists are still carrying out suicide bombings and killing people’. My response to that is that such is the nature of insurgency anywhere. Unlike a war between two armies, an insurgency never ends with an armistice. Even in countries like Colombia, where insurgency was supposed to have ended decades ago, attacks still happen.
“The largely defeated Boko Haram has now adopted a new style: attacking soft targets like motor parks, schools, entertainment centres, religious centres, etc, killing innocent people, mostly women and children.
“They have capitalised on the missing part of the war on terrorism: the civilian component. Our military has availed itself creditably. It is our turn, as civilians, to give them our unalloyed support, to realise that what they are fighting is not their war but our war; hence we must own the war.”
The minister, however, stated that despite the achievements of the military in putting the terrorists on the run, insecurity remained Nigeria’s biggest challenge.
Mohammed said security was so central to the current government that Buhari prioritised it as soon as he assumed office as the leader of the country.
He also put the security challenge ahead of the dwindling economy, saying every nation needed an atmosphere of peace to be able to enjoy a good economy.
The minister said, “Undoubtedly, the topmost challenge facing our country today is the issue of security. Important as the economy is, no nation’s economy can thrive in an atmosphere of insecurity. That explains why the welfare and security of the citizenry constitute the basis for the existence of any government, and why it is one of the key policies of this administration.
“The biggest security challenge we face as a nation today is the Boko Haram insurgency that has left thousands dead and injured; displaced over two million people and crippled the North-East, both economically and socially, with a ripple effect that is felt across the nation.
“The Buhari administration hit the ground running in tackling the insurgency; first, relocating the military’s command and control centre to the theatre of war in Maiduguri, raising the morale of the troops through enhanced welfare and the provision of the necessary fighting tools and then rallying sub-regional, regional and global support for the war.”
The minister urged journalists not to give their platforms to the insurgents to publish their propaganda, describing the insurgents as hungry, sick and desperate people, who would clutch at any available straw.
Meanwhile, suspected Boko Haram terrorists killed two soldiers and three civilians in Niger’s southern border town of Abadam in an overnight raid.
The Tuesday’s night attack brought to three the attacks by the terror sect in less than 24 hours on Nigeria’s neighbours.
Four militants detonated suicide bombs in the Lake Chad area, also overnight, killing three of the attackers but no one else.
Another band attacked a convoy in northern Cameroon on Wednesday, although there were no reported deaths.
Information Minister, Mr Lai Mohammed on Monday said the administration of Dr Goodluck Jonathan should be blamed for the scarcity across the country.
Lai Mohammed
Answering questions from journalists at the conclusion of an emergency meeting of the Federal Executive Council at which President Muhammadu Buhari presided, the minister said the inability of the past government to make provisions for the payment of subsidy for fuel was the cause of the queues at filling stations across the country.
When asked what he would tell Nigerians if they told him that this was not the change they voted for, he replied thus: ”What I will be telling Nigerians is that what we met on ground is such that we are paying for the sins of the last administration. I am being very serious. You remember that about two weeks ago, we had to go to the National Assembly for a supplementary budget of N674 billion. Of that figure, N522 billion was for arrears of fuel subsidy which was incurred as far back as August last year.
“One of the reasons for the fuel scarcity was the inability of the last government to make adequate provision for fuel subsidy.
“We do face some other logistic problems but majorly we are paying for the sins of the last administration.”
He said the Federal Government was working out a solution.
He said: “The first thing we have done now is to make sure that unlike before when the marketers used to import the major percentage of the fuel, the Nigerian National Petroleum Coporation (NNPC) has been involved in importation, because some of the marketers had stopped importing for a couple of months. If you see any fuel anywhere today, it is imported by the NNPC.
“We also inherited the vandalisation of the pipelines which has made it impossible for us to even transport the fuel. In tanks today we have 14 days reserve and off tank we have 10 days reserve.
“The issue is not non-availability of the product it is the distribution, because of pipelines that have been vandalised and the gridlock in Lagos. It takes about 5 days for anybody to take fuel with tanker in Lagos. As at two days ago this matter has been resolved.”
MINISTER of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has showered encomiums on Nigerian soldiers for what he called their gallant fight and bravery in dislodging the elements of Boko Haram in Bama and Konduga LGAs of Borno state, saying that the December deadline given by the President will be achieved.
Lai Mohammed
The minister gave the commendation, yesterday, during an official visit to Bama and Konduga Local Government Councils of the State. Mohammed who led a team of information reporters to the visit said, he was humbled by the high scale of destruction and damages left behind in the areas by the insurgents as well as the palpable suffering and poverty undergone by the surviving victims of the Boko Haram war.
He commended the Nigerian army for rising to the occasion when it mattered most in restoring the integrity of federal government by rooting out the insurgents and the ongoing efforts to recapture the remaining areas before the December deadline. “They are very happy about what we are doing and are very committed to restoring peace in North-East and unity of this country. We went to Bama and Konduga and saw firsthand, the scale of damage and destruction that the Boko Haram terrorists left behind.
“It humbled many of us, and we all came back very very sober. I hope that with this visit, my colleagues in the media will show more restraint, more understanding in reporting the efforts being made in the war against terrorism. We are also confident that by today, we are much more informed about the corruption war,” he said.
On the visit to the IDP camp in Bama, where the team saw the victims of the war, old people, women and kids, the Minister lamented the impact of the war on the victims, and promised that government would do everything possible to rehabilitate them soon. ”Many of them they are victims of war they did not know about and many of the kids were their clapping without understanding what were being said. We saw abject poverty with sorrow, fear in the eyes of all the people there.
“I must publicly commend our military because it takes one to believe here the enormity of challenges they are facing. They are not only winning the war against insurgency but are also winning the peace, and even the humanitarian burden is probably heavier than the military burden. I saw a soft side of the commander of the Theatre, who was moved by the condition of the IDPs and suggested that the kids be adopted to reduce their sufferings.”
He lamented that these kids are going to sleep in this harsh weather but I promised that we are going to come back soon, to address their plights through resettlement and reconstruction,” he added.
State government’s effort
On the effort being made by the state government to assuage the suffering the people, the Minister lauded the state Government for taking the initiative of commencing the rebuilding and reconstruction of the damaged areas.
He also commended the Governor for creating a special ministry for to fast-track the rebuilding process and assured him of federal government’s support.
“Because of the premium the Governor had placed on the plight of the victims, he had created a new ministry in his cabinet office called Ministry of Reconstruction and we saw traces of reconstruction in Bama and Konduga: The markets, maternity complex, LGA headquarters that was razed down under reconstruction among others.
“These are clear evidence that peace is gradually returning to North-Easter, Borno state in particular. It takes one to be there to appreciate how the Governor has combined governance with the reconstruction of destructions by insurgency. This was possible because of the bold decision he had taken in area of agriculture, empowerment, education, health and environment. I am confident that in few months time, everything will be brought to normalcy,” the Minister said.
Responding, the Governor assured the Minister that come 2nd January, 2016, the State Government would commence rebuilding of Bama with about 1,000 houses and 108 in Konduga.
The Governor, while commending the Minister for the visit, however took a swipe at former information Minister, Mr. Labaran Maku, who he said never visited Borno State to ascertain the veracity of damages but went about commenting about the activities of Boko Haram without firsthand information.
According to the Governor, who described the visit as historic said, the past Ministers of information since 2009 failed in their duties for misinforming Nigerians about the activities of Boko Haram until Lai Mohammed broke the jinx to enable him avail federal government and the public on the true position of things on ground, particularly the level of successes recorded by the military.
“The fact that the President and Vice superintend over the functions of the ministers, does not erase the strategic role of the information Minister. With the continued declaration of war on the North-East, particularly, the Borno state since 2009, the most important duties of every Minister should be the Boko Haram mayhem.
“And for a minister to get the right information on the activities of Boko Haram, can only be derived by a visit to Borno State, which has been the epi-centre of the crisis.
“The former Minister of Information (Maku) had been speaking about Boko Haram, even going to the media to cast aspersion on the state government. Since 2009, Boko Haram started, no Minister of Information, I repeat, no Minister of Information ever visited Borno state until December 5, 2015, Lai Mohammed visited,” he observed.
According to Governor Shetima, the Minister is not the only information to visit Borno, but also the first under the APC government to visit
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has justified the many foreign trips of the President, saying that such trips by President Buhari since assuming office are critical to the implementation of his administration key policies of enhancing security, jump-starting the economy, creating jobs and fighting corruption.
In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja and signed by the Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi, the Minister said all the trips have started yielding fruits in terms of turning the tide in the fight against the insurgents, attracting investments in the range of billions of dollars, and securing global support for the administration’s anti-corruption fight.
“Nigerians, whether in the ruling or the opposition parties, have a right to ask questions about the activities of their President, but it is absolutely important that they do so from an informed, rather than partisan or sensational, standpoint,’’ he said.
The Minister explained that most of the President’s trips to Nigeria’s neighbouring countries of Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, as well as to Germany, the US, France and the UN – were devoted to rallying regional and global support for the war against terrorism.
“He was in Germany at the invitation of the G7 to solicit support from the Industrialized Nations for the war against terrorism. No one who has witnessed the killings and maiming in the past seven years by Boko Haram will call such trips frivolous. After all, the security and welfare of the citizens are the reason for the existence of any government.
“The President’s visit to South Africa was to attend the regular summit of the African Union; the trip to Ghana was aimed at fostering better relations with a brotherly country; the trip to India was for the India-Africa summit that provided the opportunity to explore ways of enhancing Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) from Indian investors.”
On the trip to Iran, he also explained that the President represented Nigeria in the forum of Gas Exporting Countries, a veritable platform for discussing how to better harness Nigeria’s abundant gas resources for industrial/domestic consumption and export, at a time of dwindling oil prices.
“The President also travelled to Malta to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, from where he travelled to Paris for the UN Conference on Climate Change. The President’s second trip to South Africa since assuming office is for the China-Africa forum. On the few occasions that the President has embarked on a State Visit, he has tied that to an agenda that will further the quest for support for the war against terror and the efforts to enhance FDIs, thus stimulating economic growth and creating jobs,’’ he said.
He said that apart from rallying global support for the country’s wars on terror and graft or seeking foreign investments, it is important that Nigeria leverages President Buhari’s brand, a high integrity quotient and an embodiment of committed and dedicated leadership, to further Nigeria’s relevance and visibility on the global stage.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has assured that the current fuel scarcity in the country will be over in a matter of days, following the approval of the subsidy payment by the National Assembly.
Lai Mohammed
”We can confidently announce here today that the scarcity will end in a few days. Subsidy payment till the end of the year has been approved by the National Assembly. As you know we can’t spend money without approval,” the Minister said during a visit to the headquarters of the Daily Trust newspaper in Abuja on Wednesday.
Alhaji Mohammed explained that the 521 billion Naira that has been approved by the National Assembly, as part of the passed supplementary budget of 574.4 billion Naira, would be enough to cover the fuel subsidy till the end of the year
He also said the kind of fuel scarcity that has triggered vehicular queues across the country would no longer repeat itself, adding: ”We can assure you that we won’t be caught in this kind of situation again.”
The Minister thanked the management and staff of the newspaper for the role they played during the last general elections
”The sacrifice you made helped to bring about the change that Nigerians desired. You stood by the people of Nigeria when it mattered most, and we will continue to engage with you all through the tenure of this Administration to exchange ideas in the interest of Nigerians,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed announced a plan to set up an adhoc committee comprising representatives of the government, the military and the media to enhance the exchange of information, especially concerning the war against terrorism.
He hinted that the 2016 budget would soon be submitted to the National Assembly, ”and it will address the yearnings of Nigerians”.
The Minister was received by Mr. Kabir Yusuf, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Daily Trust, who led a team of other top management officials.
The new Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Thursday blamed Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, and other Federal Government-owned media organizations of throwing professionalism to the wind.
Lai Mohammed
The minister who made the statement during his maiden meeting with heads of parastatals under the ministry in Abuja observed that the public owned media houses have showed total disregard for editorial independence.
He stated that government-owned media organizations always complain of financial woes, forgetting that there is a link between credibility and profitability.
Read him:
Let me start with the Federal Government-owned media organizations, the NTA, FRCN and NAN. Why have you all chosen to play second fiddle in the country’s media landscape? I ask because the NTA
and FRCN of yesterday is not the same as what we have today.
Whereas most broadcast journalists of note in our country today passed through the NTA and the FRCN, there is no denying the fact that the private radio and TV stations are doing much better, at least going by the fact that most Nigerians prefer them to the public broadcasters. Indeed, most Nigerians find the private broadcasters more credible.
The reason for this is not farfetched. First, the public broadcasters have thrown professionalism to the wind while also showing total disregard for editorial independence. They have mortgaged their credibility on the altar of political correctness. Yet, these Federal Government-owned media establishments are endowed with highly-trained and well-qualified personnel, better infrastructure and a wide reach.
It is interesting to note that these government-owned media organizations complain of financial woes, forgetting that there is a link between credibility and profitability. Advertisers will surely flock to more credible media organizations, and of course it is also true that content drives advertisement.
The same law of diminishing returns also apply to NAN, which was once the leading national news agency in the whole of Africa, boasting of the best professionals in the news business. Today, the agency is punching far below its weight, despite its presence in all the states of the Federation.
We intend to provide leadership for the Federal Government-owned media organizations in a manner that will make them to become the first source of information, so that they can more effectively function as a
vehicle for the change mantra of the Buhari Administration, and also regain their lost glory.
The combined reach of the NTA, FRCN and NAN, if effectively utilized, will facilitate the success of the change campaign. But they must first enhance their own credibility, because no credibility-deficient news organization can successfully propagate the message of change.
At this juncture, ladies and gentlemen, let me assure Nigerians that under this Administration, no Federal Government-owned media organization will deny the opposition the opportunity to air their
views.
It is true that while we were in opposition, we were treated as outcasts by these public broadcasters. They denied us the use of their platforms, they rejected our adverts and even made themselves available for the most abhorrent hate campaign ever in the history of electioneering campaign in our country.
But in an era of change, which is our mantra, that cannot and will not continue. Opposition members are Nigerians, just like members of the ruling party. Even the ruling party will benefit when the opposition is allowed to air their views freely, because you learn more from people who disagree with you. Therefore, let the ruling party and the opposition air their ideas and let the people, who wield the ultimate power, decide at the end of the day.
The governor of Ondo state and Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has advised the former Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress, APC and minister of information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to be more cautious, words-selective and fact-oriented before speaking for the presidency.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko
“As a former Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I want to believe there is an urgent need for me to assist in reorientation and exercise of Presidential familiarization for our Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to know that he now works with the Presidency and should adapt to presidential breeze and ethics and learn how to address issues of public interest without unleashing terror and verbal war on personalities in oppositions like when he does as the Spokesperson to the All Progressive Congress, APC,” Mimiko charged.
Dr. Mimiko said this on Tuesday in Akure, the Ondo State Capital while reacting to what the Spokesman turned Minister said about Ekiti State governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose and others who were not on the same leaf with the President’s Treasury Single Account policy by describing it a mere fraud.
He said: “As the Lord will have it, PDP is today the strongest opposition party in the country. We are playing the role as expected of any doggedly focused and serious opposition.
“Lai Mohammed shouldn’t be expecting praises and worship songs from us because we are not brain-washable”
“Therefore, it was erroneous and insulting for the Minister of Information to be attacking our people who criticised the formulated TSA policy by the presidency. It is absolutely unacceptable by me as person and PDP as a party.
“Nigeria belongs to everybody and it does to nobody; no single person or party owns our common wealth. No one!”
Mimiko further established the fact that PDP members have the liberty to criticize every action taken by the president, especially anyone that fails to go down well with humanity, democracy and modern democratic settings.
He added that any further attack on any member of his party (PDP), will be assumed to be calculated presidential attempt to witch-hunt and silent the opposition in the country and which PDP will not hesitate to resist.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, as a quarrelsome and misguided individual, completely unfit to hold responsible national office in a democratic government.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, said in a statement on Saturday that the cantankerous nature, resort to personal attacks and uncouth description of a rival political party always by the APC spokesman while responding to critical issues are indicative of his background, pedigree, upbringing and emptiness as a low life.
The party advised the APC spokesman to shed his offensive narcissist tendencies even in his desperation not to end up being a minister without a portfolio.
The All Progressives Congress on Saturday described the verdict of the Rivers State governorship election petition tribunal that nullified the victory of Nyesom Wike in the April 11 governorship election in the state as a deadly body blow to impunity and hooliganism.
Lai Mohammed
In a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC said the tribunal’s ruling has shown clearly that the era of impunity and hooliganism is over, and that the only way for elections to have legitimacy is for them to be free, fair and credible.
”What has come across from this judgment is that there is no shortcut to free, fair and credible elections. This is part of the wind of change that is blowing across the land and touching all arms of government under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
”Elections are about the expression of the will of the people, and they must always be free to express themselves, irrespective of what some desperate politicians may feel,” the party stated.
According to the APC, politicians, especially those seeking or occupying elective office, must realize that they can only derive their legitimacy from the people, and that unless they respect the wishes of the people, they will not go far.
The party hailed its governorship candidate in Rivers, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, for his doggedness and strong conviction in the pursuit of his petition against the election of Wike that was not only marred by widespread violence and electoral malfeasance, but also acknowledged to be fraught with irregularities by local and international observers – and now by the judiciary.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the Buhari Administration will not micro-manage the anti-corruption agencies, hence it is wrong for the PDP to accuse the APC-led Federal Government of unleashing the agencies against the opposition.
Lai Mohammed
In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also dismissed the allegation by the PDP that the anti-corruption war of the Buhari Administration is selective, calling it a worn-out argument.
”The ceaseless cry of selective anti-corruption battle is a bogey invented by the PDP to intimidate the anti-corruption agencies, and it will not work. It is the PDP’s strategy to stifle the fight against corruption.
”How can the PDP claim to support the anti-graft battle when every time any of its members is called in for questioning, it runs to the media to shout that the battle is ‘selective’? Is it possible that anyone who is invited for questioning will not belong to a party, an ethnic group or a certain faith?” it queried.
APC said the anti-corruption agencies have a duty to investigate petitions sent to them, irrespective of who is involved, but noted that invitation for questioning is not the same as conviction.
”Those who have nothing to fear must be willing to clear their names by honouring any invitation, and only the guilty needs be afraid.
The PDP must stop being hysterical over such invitations which are not going to stop simply because the opposition has called a press conference to cry wolf where there is none,” the party said.
