The Minister of Information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has urged students and parents to embrace their local languages and cultures.
Mohammed,who was represented at the Cultural Day celebration of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba by Mr. Uche Idika Kalu, the Curator of National Museum of Colonial History, Aba, lamented that Nigerians were abandoning their cultural heritage.
He said events like the Cultural Day celebration reminded people of the need to preserve their cultures and traditions.
The Minister praised the Igbo for their industry and hospitality. However, he condemned the quest for materialism, especially among the youth.
He called for patience and hard work, warning that anyone who tries to acquire wealth through crooked means would end up in regret.
The Rector of the polytechnic, Prof. Friday Eboh, described the event as important one.
He said the school decided to mark the yearly cultural festival to help promote the cultural heritage of various ethnic groups in Nigeria.
He urged parents to join the school and other stakeholders in the campaign to ensure that customs and traditions of various ethnic groups in the country continue to exist.
Highlights of the event were various displays from various ethnic groups on the campus.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has attributed the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration feat of taking the country out of recession to conscientious effort and not by accident.
Mohammed said the country has been on the path towards recession since mid-2014 due to a combination of factors, including the total dependence on a mono product – oil – and the failure to save during the boom years, the country officially slipped into recession in the 2nd Quarter of 2016.
Speaking on Wednesday at the 4th Annual Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and
Alhaji Lai Muhammed, Information Minister
Professionals of Nigeria in Kano, the minister said the current administration’s articulated economic policies did the magic.
He said: “Taking Nigeria out of recession did not happen by accident. It is the culmination of months of hard work by the Administration and fidelity to its well-articulated economic policies, especially the Strategic Implementation Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) that was launched on 5th April, 2017.
“Though Nigeria has been on the path towards recession since mid-2014 due to a combination of factors, including the total dependence on a mono product – oil – and the failure to save during the boom years, the country officially slipped into recession in the 2nd Quarter of 2016. Of course, as you all know, a recession is generally defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP, which measures the economic performance of a country by how much production of goods and services it achieves, usually over the course of a year).
“The recession presented a scenario of contracted GDP (0.67%), stagflation, which occurs when periods of low economic growth or Economic Contraction in GDP coincide with periods of elevated Inflation, which is often accompanied by high levels of Unemployment.
At the same time, inflation increased from 9% in Jan 2016 to 18.6% in December of the same year; unemployment rate rose above 14% and there was a massive foreign reserves decline.
“But things are looking up now. For Nigeria to be out of recession means the Administration has taken some right steps that have culminated in the good news that we are celebrating now. It didn’t just happen.”
He also listed some of the various impactful programmes of the Administration as including the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, which today feeds 3,065,000 pupils in 14 states of the Federation pupils and has employed 36,000 Cooks across the country; the Conditional Cash Transfer that has seen about over 30,000 households benefit from the N5,000 monthly stipend; the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme under which about 120,000 people have benefited from the cooperative loans; and the N-power that has employed 200,000 people.
Image of Recession
This positive growth, the minister stated, ” is attributable to both the oil and non-oil sectors of the economy. Growth in the oil sector, which has been negative since Q4 2015, was positive in Q2 2017. It rose by 1.64% as compared to -15.60 in Q1 2017, an increase of up to 17 percentage points.
”The non-oil sector grew by 0.45% in Q2 2017, a second successive quarterly growth after growing 0.72% in Q1 2017. In particular, improvement in the non-oil sector was driven principally by strong growth in agriculture and solid minerals sector, and reversal in the previous contraction of the manufacturing and construction sector. This shows that the government’s economic diversification programme is working,” he said.
The Minister listed other positive developments as a fall in the inflation rate from 18% to 16% as of July 2017; the rise in exports, coupled with a decrease in imports, which brought the country’s trade balance to ₦719.4 billion, up from ₦671.3 billion; increase in capital inflow that brought the total value of capital imported into Nigeria in the second quarter of 2017 to $1,792.3 million, representing a growth of 95.02 percent; increase in foreign reserves to a 30-month high of $31.8 billion in July 2017; and appreciation in exchange rate from N520/$ as at 20 February 2017 to N362/$ as at 17th August 2017.
Mohammed who did not also spare the critics of the administration, stressed that Buhari administration is working and the results are showing. Hence, he said they should not be given the space to dominate the economic narrative of the country.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, to naysayers, these positive developments do not constitute news. That’s why they make up their own fake news, and engage in disinformation and hate speech. They believe that by seeking to overwhelm the polity with fake news, disinformation and hate speech, they can easily obliterate the glaring achievements of the Buhari Administration.
“We must not allow them to dominate the media space. This Administration is working and the results are showing,” he said.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says there is no resurgence of Boko Haram contrary to insinuation in some circles.
Mohammed debunked the insinuation of the resurgence of Boko Haram in a remark to the media during the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations in his country home, Oro, near Ilorin.
He said that some recent tragic events, including suicide bombings and the abduction of some staff of the University of Maiduguri, were antics by the insurgents.
“The truth is that there is no resurgence of Boko Haram. Cowardly bombings and kidnappings are some of the hallmarks of an asymmetric warfare that insurgencies are.
“And like I say all the time, such wars do not end by the signing of any truce. They taper off with time, as this one surely will,” he said.
The minister said that to ensure that the insurgency tapered off quickly, the Nigerian troops were daily living up to their constitutional responsibility of maintaining the nation’s territorial integrity and securing its borders.
“They are ensuring that never again will Boko Haram take control of our territories, attack our major cities, including Abuja, at will and fly their flag anywhere in the country.
“Therefore, as we celebrate this Festival of Sacrifice, we owe the marked improvement in the security situation in our country in general and the North-East in particular to the men and women in uniform.
“They have sacrificed so much to make our country safer than at any other time since the Boko Haram insurgency started in 2009.
“Yes, we are not totally out of the woods yet, but we are much better today than we were in 2015, when this administration assumed office,” he said.
While commending the entire military for the feat of “largely defeating Boko Haram”, he identified certain roles played by the Nigerian Air Force(NAF) in the successes recorded.
He said that with the support and the enabling environment provided by President Muhammadu Buhari, young and well-trained pilots were those flying the aircraft in the inventory of the NAF.
Mohammed said unlike what was obtainable in the past, officers below 30 years of age, were Flight Lieutenants flying the planes, including the C-130s and serving as Instructor Pilots.
He said after over 32 years, the NAF recently graduated 16 instructors from its primary flying school in Kaduna.
“This is possible because the NAF has moved from just two trainer aircraft when this administration came into office to 14 trainer aircraft presently.
“The number continues to grow, in addition to other logistical issues like availability of spare parts and aviation fuel being squarely addressed.
“This has also ensured that pilots can conclude their initial flying training within four months.
“I can tell you that from December last year to June/July this year, the Air force has ‘winged’ 32 pilots, who are now fully qualified to fly the air force’s aircraft,” he said.
The minister noted that, in terms of building capacity through training and re-training of personnel, the NAF had also ratcheted up its capability.
He called on Nigerians to keep praying and supporting the troops rather than dwelling on the Boko Haram resurgence that never was.
He also called on the media to deny the insurgents publicity, which he described as “the oxygen they desperately crave to survive”.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said the Federal Government will not make any law or directive that will stifle the press in its ongoing fight against hate speech and fake news.
The Minister gave the assurance on Monday in Lagos when he paid a working visit to the Headquarters of TV Continental (TVC)
Mohammed described as fake news, the alleged directive from National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) regulating phone-in programmes and Newspaper review on TV and radio programmes.
He said there was no directive whatsoever from NBC or his office to any media house, regulating phone-in programmes and newspaper review as reported in the media.
The Minister recalled that there was a brainstorming meeting among stakeholders including NBC, media owners and others in Lagos where issues affecting the industry were discussed.
He said it was one of the participants at the meeting that leaked out the issues raised, which were never adopted as government directive or policies.
Mohammed reiterated that “no government that stifles the press, ever succeeds” and the Federal Government will not make laws or issue directive to gag the media.
He said the position of the government has been and still remains that the industry should regulate itself.
He, therefore, underscored the need for media houses to discharge their responsibilities in accordance with the dictates of their guiding codes to check the alarming rate of hate speech and fake news.
He said many Nigerians relied on newspaper review on radio and TV as their source of news daily and such review should, therefore, be done from the holistic perspective.
The minister also underscored the need for media houses to regulate the calls received during phone-in programmes to checkmate opportunists from using such avenue for hate speech.
The Minister said that the Government would not make any new laws to tackle the challenge of hate speech because there are enough provisions for it.
He said the Anti-Terrorism Act 2011 defines hate speech amongst others, as an act deliberately done with malice and which may seriously harm or damage a country or seriously intimidate a population.
Reacting to why there was upsurge in incidents of hate speech and fake news in the country, the Minister said that the purveyors were being paid with stolen funds to whittle down the anti corruption stance of the government.
He added that the upsurge was also about the 2019 general elections, to whittle down the many achievements recorded by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
He reiterated that no amount of hatred would obliterate the solid achievements recorded by the Administration.
The Chief Executive Officer of TVC, Mr Andrew Hanlon thanked the Minister for the visit.
NAN reports that the Minister also featured on a live interview programme of the station.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Monday in Abuja inaugurated the Anti-Piracy Committee, charged with working out the modalities to tackle the piracy of creative works in the country.
The inauguration followed last week’s visit to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, by the Minister to solicit the support of the Police in the fight against piracy. Members of the committee include the Director General, National Film and Video Censorship Board, Mr. Adedayo Thomas; The Chairman of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Chief Tony Okoroji; Deputies Inspector General of Police in Charge of Criminal Investigation Department Hyacinth Maidugu and that of Operations Joshak Habila; President, Motion Picture Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPAN) Abdullahi Maikano Usman; Ms Tundun Aderibigbe of the House of Tara and Mr. Tonye Princewell, a movie producer.
The Minister said the time has come for a decisive action against piracy in the country. “This is the first meeting between the police and the major stakeholders in the Ministry of Information and Culture as well as the Creative Industry (on piracy). This meeting is evidence that this is not just about mere talk, but about action,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed tasked the committee to devise a pragmatic approach that will ensure a regular and sustained enforcement, with a view to putting an end to the menace of piracy.
He said if piracy is not tamed now, it will become a monster that will destroy the Creative Industry.
In his remarks, Chief Okoroji described the inauguration of the committee as a milestone in the Creative Industry. “This for us in the Creative Industry is a historic and momentous day,” he said, pledging the commitment of members of the committee to putting their best in articulating a strategy that will stamp out piracy.
Deputy Inspector General of Police in Charge of Criminal Investigation Department, Maidugu, assured that the police will carry out the necessary investigation and enforcement of the
extant laws against piracy as well as prosecute offenders.
Nigeria switch over from analogue to digital television viewing is ”irreversible”, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said.
The minister who restates the country’s commitment to the Digital Switch Over (DSO) also announced that it will be rolled out in all the six geo-political zones in Nigeria in the next few weeks as a practical demonstration of its commitment to the DSO project.
Mohammed made the announcement in Quincy, U.S., on Tuesday during a meeting with the executives of Gates Air, a market leader in transmission solutions for broadcast network operators.
In a statement signed by one of his aides, Mr. Segun Adeyemi, the Minister said the DSO, which was first launched in Jos in April 2016, is ready to be rolled out in six states across the country – Kaduna, Kwara, Delta, Enugu, Gombe and Osun – covering the six geo-political zones.
He said the switch over from analogue to digital television is ”irreversible” because the DSO is a ”game changer” that will bring immense benefits to Nigerians and help the government to achieve one of its cardinal goals, which is the diversification of the economy.
Alhaji Mohammed said the meeting with the US company, which is a key player in the DSO process, further confirms the government’s commitment to the project, which has also been launched in Abuja.
”The DSO is very important to this Administration, because of the limitless potentials that it represents. For us as a government, DSO goes beyond just receiving digital transmission but an avenue to create jobs and ignite the huge creative potentials of our youths. It is also a solution to some of the intractable problems affecting the Creative Industry, including piracy and distribution,” he said.
The Minister, who led a Nigerian team that includes the Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on DSO, Hon. Sunday Katung, and the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Malam Ishaq Kawu Modibbo, inspected the facilities at the company’s sprawling factory, where several equipment meant for the DSO roll-out
are currently being manufactured.
”Seeing some of the equipment being shipped to Nigeria for the DSO project has reinforced our belief in the ability of Pinnacle Communications Limited (one of the two signal distributors for the project) to meet its roll-out targets,” he said.
For his part, the Chairman of the House Committee on DSO said he is in Quincy, home of the 95-year-old Gates Air, as part of efforts to ensure that the DSO process goes smoothly.
”We seem to be heading in the right direction, after several misses, and I can now confidently speak on the project when I return to Nigeria,” he said, describing Pinnacle Communications Ltd and Gates Air as reliable partners.
Also speaking, Malam Modibbo assured that the DSO project will be delivered on a modern platform because of the wonderful partnership involving the Ministry of Information and Culture, the NBC and the signal distributors.
The NBC Director-General described as a source of pride the benchmark set with the Abuja roll-out of the DSO in December 2016.
Welcoming the delegation to his company, the Chief Executive Officer of Gates Air, Mr. Phil Argyris, assured of the company’s readiness to work with Nigeria to ensure the success of the DSO project, saying: ”We never let our customers down.”
Other members of the Nigerian team are the Chairman of Digiteam, Mr Edward Amana, and the Chairman of Pinnacle Communications, Sir Lucky Omoluwa.
An advocacy group, Concerned Nigerians has requested that the leader of Nigeria’s Islamic Movement, Ibrahim Yaqoub El Zakzaky be released to them.
The group further accused the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, of falsehood over the present welfare and accommodation of the outspoken Shi’a Muslim cleric.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Convener, Deji Adeyanju and Secretary to the group, John Danfulani.
The statement reads: “We watched the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed with dismay and anger on Channels TV as he tried to justify the continuous and unlawful detention of Sheik Zakzaky and his wife.
“Mohammed said that Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife are not being detained or in custody of the police or DSS but in a home built by this government. This assertion by Minister of Information is not only false but unacceptable to all well meaning Nigerians and an insult to our collective sensibility.
“You’d recall that over 1000 Shi’ites were killed by government forces in Zaria back in 2015 and till date, no one is on trial. The Sheikh and his wife have been denied access to his immediate and extended family, his lawyers and members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) who are his immediate constituent.
“How can the Minister of Information say the Sheik and his wife are living in a house built by this government and no member of his immediate family, his lawyers or IMN members have been allowed to visit him in that house?
“Information available to us suggests that Sheik Zakzaky and his wife are still in DSS custody and have remained there ever since their arrest in December 2015.
It is not true that no Nigerian is willing to be a neighbour to Sheikh Zakzaky or accept him.
“We are willing and ready to accept Zakzaky as a neighbour. In fact, our Kaduna state coordinator and members both in Kaduna city and Zaria are ready to house Zakzaky and his wife and support their reintegration into the society. We are also willing and ready to provide accommodation for Zakzaky and his wife pending his permanent reintegration.
“We are therefore appealing to the federal government to release Sheikh Zakzaky and his wife to us and end his unlawful and illegal prolonged incarceration. This government must remember that the world is watching and that it has the worst human rights violation record in the history of our country.
The Federal Government has reassured Nigerians that there is no need to panic over the eviction notice issued to Igbos by a coalition of youth groups in the North.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja when he briefed State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which was presided over by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.
Mohammed expressed the hope that the meetings with stakeholders, which began with foremost leaders of thought from the Northern states, and which would continue with Igbo leaders later on Wednesday, would culminate into a bigger meeting with all stakeholders on June 22.
“We just want to assure Nigerians that the federal government is on top of the matter and that yesterday the Acting President addressed leaders from the northern part of the country.
“On Friday he is going to address south eastern traditional rulers and leaders of thoughts.
“On June 22 there is going to be a meeting of all the groups that is, traditional rulers, religious leaders and leaders of thoughts from both the South East and Northern parts of Nigeria.
“The idea is not just to assure Nigerians that we are doing something about it but also to give comfort to all Nigerians that this matter is completely under control.
“To assure Nigerians that any Nigerian anywhere is safe, the security authorities are completely on top of the matter.
“And that they will deal decisively with any group of people whose conduct that is believed is going to create instability in the country.’’
The Acting President on Tuesday began consultations with leaders of thought from the North and warned that the government would deal decisively with persons who make hate speeches or attempt to disrupt the peace of the country.
The meeting was sequel to the calls for secession by youths from different ethnic groups in the country resulting in some asking others to vacate their enclave before Oct. 1.
The Acting President noted that that was not what the country desired at this time and urged those involved to desist or face the full wrought of the of law.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has given assurances that the Federal Government and its agencies would work with Nigerian public relations consultants in the execution of its communication projects.
Receiving a delegation of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) on an advocacy visit to his office in Abuja, the Minister said that he understood the importance of Public Relations consultancy having been a Public Relations professional all his professional life.
Mohammed said: “As for your request that government should involve your members in planning and executing PR campaigns, you are preaching to the converted. Discussions are ongoing on the need to patronise Nigerian PR consultants when planning government campaigns. So rest assured on that.”
The Minister added that the Federal Government would not but do the right thing. “The foreign consultants got to where they are today because they were given opportunities. We will ensure that PRCAN agencies are given the first right of refusal on any campaign by Ministries, Department and Agencies.”
The Minister also appealed to PRCAN member-firms’ sense of volunteerism at the moment as there were still some process hurdles to be crossed, just as he expressed the hope for a robust long-term relationship with PRCAN. He pleaded with the association to ensure the relationship between both
parties did not end with the visit.
Earlier, PRCAN President, John Ehiguese had expressed the readiness of its member firms to assist the Federal Government of Nigeria with its numerous policy communication programmes and campaigns.
L-R: Secretary General, Adetola Odusote; Publicity Secretary, Israel Jaiye Opayemi, President, John Ehiguese, all of Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN); Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Vice President, PRCAN, Muyiwa Akintunde; and immediate past President, PRCAN, Chido Nwakanma, during a courtesy visit to the Minister on Friday
Ehiguese explained that the primary objective of the visit was to seek how the PRCAN member-firms could contribute their quota to the success of the numerous policy communications programmes and campaigns of the Federal Government.
His words: “There is no doubt that our country is beset by several challenges. But I’m sure you will agree with me that a large chunk of these challenges can be effectively tackled if there is proper and effective
communication. That reality alone underscores the importance and centrality of your cabinet portfolio as Honourable Minister of Information and Culture.”
The PRCAN President assured the Minister that the association has opted to offer its hands of solidarity and support to the Minister in helping to craft and execute communications campaign to support government policies and programmes.
He requested that that henceforth Nigerian PR firms should be seriously considered for communication assignments and be given the opportunity to make inputs at the conception stage of such programmes.
Ehiguese explained that: “asides the patriotic imperative, we do indeed possess the relevant competencies, both as individual consultancy firms and as a collective, to provide strategic communication support for government’s programmes. Many of our members are already working for global Fortune 500 companies and successfully executing their briefs.
In addition, some of our members belong to global PR networks, and therefore have direct access to the competencies, resources and tools domiciled in such networks.”
He further assured the Minister that it was the patriotic duty of PRCAN member firms to make those resources available for the use and benefit of Nigeria, being our country. He however assured the Minister that even where the competences appear absent or in short supply, PRCAN member-firms would be willing to outsource or go into collaboration with external third parties in order to deliver, saying, “at the end of the day, what is important is that Nigerian PR professionals should begin to take the lead in executing Nigerian projects.”
“That is how we will grow, garner the necessary skills and experience, as well as create jobs for our people. I should like to mention that this is consistent with widely applauded, ‘Buy Nigeria’ posture of the current government,” Ehiguese added.
The PRCAN President also appealed to the Minister to help convey the promise to other Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government so they could tap into the reservoir of professional help that are available in Nigeria to support their communication programmes.
Also in the PRCAN delegation were the Vice President, Muyiwa Akintunde; Secretary General, Adetola Odusote; Publicity Secretary, Israel Jaiye Opayemi; and the immediate past President, Chido Nwakanma.
PRCAN is the consulting arm of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) established by the NIPR bye-law No. 3 of 1993. Membership is exclusively restricted to consulting firms whose key executives are members of NIPR and registered to practice public relations in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says the Federal Government is delivering on its election promises and that only “a few vocal minority are not seeing what the government is doing.’’
The minister stated this when the leadership of the National Association and Nigerian Students (NANS), paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja Tuesday evening.
Mohammed said “the administration is on course in the delivery of the three major electoral promises it made before coming to power. That are: to fight corruption, fight insecurity and fix the economy.
He said in less than two years, the government had restored peace and territories that were taken over in the troubled North-East and defeated the Boko Haram insurgents.
“Our success in fighting insecurity is there for everybody to see. It is not just fighting insecurity but consistently restoring peace to every part of Nigeria’’, he said.
The minister said the administration deserved credit for securing the freedom of the Chibok school girls so far released by Boko Haram.
He assured that the government was working toward the release of the remaining girls as well as others in Boko Haram’s captivity.
In fighting corruption, the minister said government took the bull by the horns, considering the fact that “it is as deadly as insecurity and has grave effects on national development.
“In our approach, we are not interested in vilifying anybody but more interested in letting people know how much we are suffering as a result of corruption perpetrated by only a few opportunists.
“If the looted moneys were invested and utilised, today we are going to have railway, our power will not be epileptic, our roads will be better and we will not have highest number of mortality.
“We have not been selective in the fight against corruption and that is why we introduced the whistle blowing policy and I am glad to hear that the students are prepared to work with us not just to blow whistle but to blow trumpet’’, he said.
The minister said that government has done a lot in fixing the economy but the approach is not a quick fix as was done in the past and expected by the people.
He said the government was investing massively in infrastructure and in diversifying the economy from oil.
“For many decades we have discovered oil, the country has failed to develop other areas to diversify the economy.
“We came in and we said we are going to do what no government has ever done before and ensure that never again will Nigeria be held hostage by crude oil.
“We are working to develop other sectors of the economy like agriculture, manufacturing, mining and the creative industry so that even if oil falls to as low as 10 dollars a barrel, it will not affect us.
“We are also investing in infrastructure to create the foundation for sustainable economic growth’’, he said.
The minister noted that there was no gain without pain and the hardship the people were going through was temporary.
He said the national re-orientation campaign “Change Begins with Me’’ was the greatest legacy of the administration and he was glad that the students were prepared to partner with government to take the campaign to schools.
National President of NANS, Haruna Kadiri commended the government for its efforts in addressing insecurity and ensuring the release of abducted Chibok girls.
Kadiri also commended the government’s anti-corruption policy and approach and prayed for quick recovery of the President and his safe return to continue the good work.
He said the association was ready to work with government in taking the Change Begins with Me national reorientation campaign to campuses, secondary and primary schools.
“Yes, we are not totally out of the woods yet, but we are much better today than we were in 2015, when this administration assumed office,” he said.
