Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed has urged Nigerians to support the military in its efforts to clip the wings of Boko Haram.
The minister spoke yesterday at the launch of a news magazine, SI, in Abuja.
He stressed the need to encourage and boost the morale of the military to consolidate the achievements recorded in the fight against Boko Haram.
The minister said: ‘’Many of our troops have paid the supreme price in liberating communities hitherto held by the terrorists, to such an extent that no community today is exclusively in the hands of Boko Haram. Yes, they may be operating in one or two areas but they are doing so from a position of weakness, unlike in the past when they brazenly took over territories, hoisted their flag, desposed and imposed emirs and collected taxes.
‘’We owe it a duty to support our gallant military, not to condemn or second guess them.”
Mohammed hailed the magazine for featuring in its launch edition details of the reconstruction, resettlement and rehabilitation efforts undertaken by governments in the Northeast, especially in Borno State, saying in reporting the developments, SI magazine is contributing to efforts to consolidate the peace in the Northeast.
He praised the founder of the magazine, Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya, for her innovation and creativity and solicited support for her enterprise.
‘’I am glad to say that Hajiya Khadijah and her team, who conceived the idea of the magazine we are launching today, have keyed into the government’s Change Agenda. Coming up with such an innovative magazine, the type of which I am sure we have not seen in these parts, is a sure way to keep our people better informed and educated, not just about the activities of government but also about our country, its plurality in terms of people, language and culture, as well as its richness in human and natural resources.
‘’The uniqueness of SI magazine lies in the fact that it has leveraged technology to the hilt, thereby separating itself from the pack…The magazine packs a punch as it uses a multi-media format to bring its stories to readers. Video, audio, picture, podcast, text are employed to ensure that the reader does not miss the messages. Then the authors also went beyond the stories that grab headlines, to bring out – from the grassroots – stories that are easily forgotten in the rush to chronicle the emergent events of the times,’’ the minister said.
Chairman of SI magazine and a popular columnist, Mr. Mohammed Haruna, said the magazine would bring to the fore unreported issues, such as the suffering of women and children in the Internally Displaced Persons’ camps and efforts to rebuild communities destroyed by Boko Haram.
He said the magazine was leveraging on technology to zoom its lenses on the value system and promote the nation’s cultural heritage.