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Tag: Alhaji Lai Mohammed

FG will intensify war against corruption – Minister

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the Federal Government will intensify the war against corruption.

The essence, he said is to ensure that all those who abused the collective human rights of Nigerians through mindless looting of the treasury are brought to book.

The Minister who spoke in Abuja Monday at the commissioning of the Human Rights Radio station said “I want to say this without any equivocation that the protection of human rights is the first responsibility of any government and this government in particular has done more than anybody to protect the collective human rights of Nigerians.

“I am going to prove this. The greatest assault to our collective human rights are those people who have stolen our money; those people who have pocketed money meant for roads, power, water, Medicare. Those are the people who have assaulted our collective human rights; those are the people who have reduced Nigerians to nothingness. Those are the people who have humiliated this country and this is why this government’s anti-corruption war must be supported by all and sundry.”

He also blamed the current economic hardship in the country to the reckless looting of the treasury by public officials in the past.

He stressed that the Buhari’s government is doing everything possible to fix the economy and make Nigerians happy.

“No economy in the world can survive this mindless looting. If everyone of us that has access to power should steal $10 million, how can the Naira ever be strong. If we steal over $136 million, how can our roads be in good order or how can we have power,” he queried.

The Minister, however, expressed delight that the introduction of the Whistle-blower Policy by this Administration is helping to expose corrupt officials and the recovery of billions of naira in stolen funds.

“Within two months of our declaration of a policy of whistle blowers, we have been able to recover $160 million and N8 billion and what is this policy? It’s a policy that will encourage Nigerians who have any information of violation of our rights, commission of a crime, fraud or corruption or any Nigerian who knows where certain money is being held or being kept to anonymously contact us. We will protect his identity and if that information leads really to the recovery of money, he will be entitled to between 2% and 5% of the money recovered,” he said.

The Minister said his ministry will partner with the Human Rights Radio to popularise the Whistle-blower Policy.

In his remarks, the founder of the Human Rights Radio, Ahmed Isah, who described the Minister as his mentor, said the radio station will support humanity, irrespective of religious or ethnic inclinations.

He described the radio station as the first to be solely dedicated to human rights in the country and promised to use the platform to project the image of Nigeria.

February 13, 2017
Minister urges Nigerians to engage in volunteerism

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has urged Nigerians to show interest and commitment to volunteer services for the development of the country.

The minister stated this on Thursday in Abuja when a delegation of Senior Citizens Advocacy Network of Nigeria paid a courtesy visit to his office.

According to him, volunteerism is lacking in the country whereas most countries thrived because of commitment of their citizens to voluntary services to their nations.

The minister commended the group for its commitment to issues of senior citizens and the plan to engage them for volunteer services.

He noted that rather than sitting down and waiting for death after retirement, the senior citizens should be better engaged in volunteer services, particularly in the areas of their field to inculcate their knowledge on younger ones.

Mohammed said the senior citizens would be more useful in their country homes where they retired to in this regard of volunteer services.

He noted that in the developed world, senior citizens contributed immensely to security because they offered intelligence information on where they live to relevant authorities.

The minister commended the group for its willingness to assist the government in the implementation of cultural reorientation campaign, “Change Begins With Me’’.

Earlier, the National Chairman of the Non-Governmental Organisation, Dallatu Ayuba said they were registered to promote care and enhancement of quality of life of older persons.

He said they believed that both the old and the young generation was the pride of a country and none should be neglected.

Ayuba said that the old generation as the custodian of culture and heritage would be useful in imparting them on the younger ones.

For easy accessibility in volunteer services, he said the organisation would be compiling a compendium of its professionals.

February 9, 2017
Traditional rulers will support for Buhari – Sulu Gambari

The Emir of Ilorin, Dr Ibrahim Sulu Gambari has said that traditional rulers will continue to rally support for President Muhammadu Buhari for the success of his administration.

The Emir stated this when the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, paid him a courtesy visit in his palace in company with six other ministers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visit was on the sidelines of the Federal Government Town Hall meeting for the North Central zone held on Monday inIlorin.

The monarch said: “Speaking on behalf of the majority of traditional rulers of this country, we will offer help anytime and anywhere we are called upon.

“We trust the president of this country, we know him to be a man of discipline and we hope he can tidy up things that are very rough now.

“We pray that on his sojourn to England, he will get better and return to us in good health so that he can continue the good work that the majority of this country are expecting.”

The Emir also expressed confidence in members of the cabinet of the president, particularly those on the entourage.

“You are the eyes of Mr President.

“When the names of ministers were made public, we said, yes, this time around, we are very serious and ready for good governance.

“Though it took time for Mr President to name his cabinet but it is better late and to select good hands that can deliver.

“We are very optimistic that this administration will make a positive impact on the nation and the people,” he said.

The monarch called on Nigerians to support the change agenda of the administration.

Earlier, the Information minister said they were in the palace to pay homage to the monarch after the town hall meeting for the North central states of Kwara, Kogi and Niger.

He also said that they were particularly impressed with the quality of traditional rulers that attended the town hall meeting from the three states.

The minister noted that the town hall meeting was a very robust engagement with the people and they would take the recommendations therefrom to the president for consideration.

He thanked the Emir for his role in ensuring peace in his domain and the country as a whole.

February 7, 2017
Calling me “Lie Mohammed’’ is mindset, price for service – Minister

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says he reads comments of people who claim not to believe what he says and coin his first name as “Lie’’.

The minister stated this while responding to questions when he visited Daar Communications Plc on Friday in Abuja.

He said that such comments were the mindset of the people and a price he had to pay for serving the nation.

“People just have a mindset that whatever Lai Mohammed says cannot be true, but nobody has ever come out to say that I said `Y’ and it was `Z’ that happened.

“For me, I will remain focused because it is a price you pay for serving your country.

“I also see this as a deliberate strategy to whittle me down, but I must remain focused and will not be distracted,’’ he said.

Mohammed said that some people found it difficult to separate him from “Lai Mohammed as All Progressive Congress (APC) spokesperson and Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information’’.

“I believe sincerely that the last election was fought very bitterly and I was largely the face of the party and I kept asking them to fight me on facts, not on emotions.

“Give me one thing that I have said which is not true.

“There is a Yoruba proverb that says that you can only wake up somebody who is sleeping, you cannot wake up a fellow who is pretending to fall asleep,’’ he said.

He recalled when he led local and foreign journalists on tour of the North-East on Dec. 5, 2015 and he told the world that Boko Haram war had been technically defeated.

Mohammed said that when he made the claim nobody believed him but that today he had been vindicated.

He said that all the schools that were closed then in the North-East had been reopened and that all the territory occupied by the terrorists had been reclaimed by the military.

He added that recently, he led a team that flew over Sambisa forest unhindered and without traces of Boko Haram terrorists.

“However, when you are fighting insurgency, it is not like regular war that you win at once, there will still be suicide bombing.

“There will still be ambush but that does not mean that we have not won the war,’’ he said.

February 3, 2017
Lagos to help renovate the National Theatre – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the nation’s creative industry will witness dramatic turn-around in few months.

He stated this on Sunday evening in Lagos at the stage performance of a play “Itan’’ (Story) at the National Theatre by the Thespian Family Theatre and Production.

The minister disclosed that between Feb. 28 and March 6, the British Council in collaboration with the Ministry will be running a capacity building workshop for festival managers all over Nigeria.

“We believe that what our creative people need today is to see the creative industry as a creative economy.

“It is not enough to see a fantastic performance like we see here today, but the actors must be able to translate their talent to money.

“There is no reason why while a creative artist should die poor because, in other parts of the world, the richest people are the people whose products are based on intellectual creativity,’’

The minister also said that he would be presenting the amended National Endowment for the Arts Act to the Federal Executive Council for consideration and subsequent forwarding to the National Assembly.

He said the amended Act will make it possible for young artists to have access to grants and funds to finance their works.

The minister appealed to the rich and philanthropist to invest more in the creative industry, noting that everywhere in the world, the industry is sustained by philanthropists.

Mohammed said that the Lagos State has offered to assist in renovating the main bowl of the National Theatre, two cinema halls, the exhibition lobby and the banquet hall.

He said the renovation which would be completed for use at the grand finale of the “Lagos at 50 celebrations’’ in two months was a fall out of the collaboration between the Federal Government and states.

The minister thanked the state governor, Akinwumi Ambode for his cooperation, stressing that the partnership will breathe life into the National theatre.

He appealed to other governors to look at the creative industry as a local industry which they can annex to create more jobs for the people.

“It may be slow, but I want to assure you that this government will move the creative industry from the margin to the mainstay of the economy.

“We are going to strengthen our law enforcement and ensure that illegal reproduction of your works by pirates become a thing of the past,’’ he said.

Mohammed commended the Director of the play, Mrs Ayodele Jaiyesinmi for bringing talents to bear in the production of the world-class stage performance.

He said the play is a demonstration of the artificial disconnect among the old, the new and the incoming generations.

“I am so impressed with what I saw today, you can see the diversity, the complexity. We were here and went 60 years back and 60 years forward

“What that means is that no matter the level of technology or modernity we attain, we must never lose our humanity.

“I keep telling the world that Nigeria has a lot to show and tell the world.

“I have watched performances all over the world, this qualifies as an A class performance anywhere in the world,’’ he said.

Jaiyesinmi said that the inspiration for “Itan’’ was based on youth restiveness and tensions in the country caused by a generational divide.

She explained that the play captured the challenges of generational divide vividly, its effects on the society and proffered solutions.

If you noticed we have four generations in the play which demonstrated that every generation has its uniqueness, however, each has a feeling of the divide.

The older ones feel frustrated and they right off the younger ones thinking that they are too nonchalant and too fluid in their ways.

At the same time, the younger ones just don’t like the older ones because they are very procedural.

“However, the play concludes that we are all important and we all have our characteristics and we need to understand the different features so that we can work together for the progress of the society,” she said.

Jaiyesinmi said the old generation must understand the ways of the young ones and involve them in planning, strategy in order to have a harmonious society.

January 30, 2017
FG directs NBC to investigate BBN controversy

Following the backlash by Nigerians against the shooting the ongoing Big Brother Naija Reality TV show in South Africa instead of in Nigeria, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to investigate the circumstances that necessitated such action.

In a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, Alhaji Mohammed asked the NBC to determine whether MultiChoice, by shooting the show in South Africa, has breached the Nigerian Broadcasting Code in any way, or if the company deceived the viewing public as they were not told that the event would be staged outside Nigeria.

”As a country of laws, only the outcome of the investigation will determine our next line of action,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said while concerned Nigerians have bombarded his office with calls to complain about what they regard as an anomaly (of shooting outside the country a show meant for Nigerians), he urged Nigerians to remain calm while the NBC investigates the issue and submits its findings.

January 24, 2017
Premium Times journalists: FG will not stifle press freedom

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has distanced the government from the recent arrest of the Publisher of Premium Times and one of its reporters.

Mr Dapo Olorunyomi, Publisher of the online newspaper and the judicial reporter, Ms. Evelyn Okakwu were arrested last week by the police.

The government and the police received knocks for the arrest, which many said was an attempt by the government to gag the media.

But Information minister in a statement on Tuesday absolved the government, saying that the current administration was keenly aware of the importance of a free press to the success of any democracy and so would not do anything to stifle the media.

According to him: “The Federal Government will not do anything to stifle press freedom because it is keenly aware that a free press is vital to the success of any democracy.”

He explained that “the whole issue of the journalists’ arrest is purely a private affair involving a citizen and a privately-owned newspaper, and wondered how that could now be construed as an attempt by the government to intimidate the press.

”We have said it before and we want to re-state it: The Federal Government has no immediate or long-term plan to stifle press freedom. Even the Social Media, with its warts and all, will neither be regulated nor have its operations tampered with,” the minister assured Nigerians.

January 24, 2017
We are still negotiating release of Chibok girls – Minister
- Our demands unchanged-BBOG
The Federal Government is still negotiating with Boko Haram for the release of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and other abductees, Minister for Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said on Tuesday.

He spoke during a briefing following an intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operation to the Sambisa forest.

“Negotiations for the release of the girls have never stopped. In a situation like this, we use the carrot and stick approach.

“Even the success of the military also helped fast track the process of the negotiation for those who were released.

“The negotiation is complicated, delicate and changes from time to time, but we are on still talking and we are near breakthrough,” he said.

The trip to Sambisa was organised for the leaders of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group to acquaint them with efforts by the military to find the Chibok girls and end the war on the insurgency.

“This government has nothing to hide; that is why we have brought you here so you can have a first-hand experience. We want to let the world know what we have been doing not only to recover the girls but also to end the insurgency,” Mohammed said.

But the leader of the BBOG and former Minister of Education Dr Oby Ezekwesili said though the group had learnt some lessons about the workings of the military, its demand still remained.

“We have learnt that the Nigerian Air Force is working to generate the information that supports the Army to ensure the security of the theatre of war.

“By joining the NAF to do ISR day and night, we saw what it looks like to embark on a search for targets like the abducted Chibok girls. It also helps to frame the question we have been asking, we leave here to say the Federal Government should be able to say what strategic decision should be taken.

“Negotiations led to the highest yield of 21 girls, four came back after the military raided their bases, that is, they either escaped or were found after the raid.

“It becomes a strategic question, we will hold the Federal Government accountable to a decision on what options work better for our girls and others.

“The information has empowered and enriched our demand, the Minister for Information has given the assurance that 80 girls would be part of a batch based on negotiation, we will keep asking for that,” she said.

The former minister also said knowing how important it is for the military to be equipped; the group will continue to call for the prosecution of all who have mismanaged military hardware funds.

“Imagine what would have happened if the whole money has been spent on buying the equipment, we are more empowered to demand sanctions.”

She praised the NAF on the innovative use of technology saying it makes the efforts to be precise.

She also called for improved transparency in the conduct of the war on insurgency saying for as long as the war was prosecuted as a propaganda mission, there will be criticism and cynicism.

She praised the “strong commitment” of the troops saying the group has always been supportive of the efforts of troops.

“As citizen activists, we shall remain the voice, we will hold the government accountable to its promise to rescue the Chibok girls and others,” she said.

The BBOG leader also sought clarification on the capture of Camp Zairo. She said a proper understanding of Sambisa is necessary for Nigerians to put the capture of the Camp in perspectives. In a clarification, the information minister said the capture of Camp Zairo is a strike at the heart of the insurgent. “When you strike Camp Zairo, you completely disorient the insurgents, but it does not mean the end of the campaign.
January 17, 2017
Nigeria’s festival calendar to be released in 2017 – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said on Thursday the Federal Government would in the new year release a calendar of festivals across the country.

Mohammed made this known in Offa, Kwara State at the 2016 Edition of the ”Íjakadi Festival”, a traditional wrestling event, which started in the 14th century.

The minister said that the aim was to attract tourists and enable them to plan their trips around the festivals.

“We believe that this is one of the best ways to attract global visitors to our festivals and help to make them viable entities,” he said.

The minister, represented by Mr Raphael Arulogun, General Manager of NTA Ilorin, said the government was also working with the private sector to make major festivals attractive to domestic and foreign tourists.

He said the government also planned to leapfrog the major events to the top cadre of global festivals, adding that the starting point would be to train the managers of the festivals.

”As you may be aware, the training of festival managers is contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that we signed with the British Council.

“Also included in another MoU, which we signed with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, is the need to ensure that festivals like Ijakadi are not just a mere jamboree but also a source of economic empowerment for the people.

“It will help to inject foreign exchange into the economy and create jobs, especially for the communities in which such festivals are situated,” the minister said.

Mohammed said the beneficiaries of the partnership with the private sector would include major festivals like the Abuja Carnival.

He said the training would bring out their full potentials and become household names like the Edinburgh International Festivals, the Rio Carnival in Brazil and the Notting Hill Festival in London.

”Our ultimate aim is to ensure that our festivals are among the top 20 festivals in the world,” he said.

The minister lauded Offa Descendants Union (ODU), the organiser of the ”Ijakadi Festival” for reviving and sustaining the age-long event.

He said the festival “reinforces the community’s tradition of strength and determination and addresses the notion of equality among all the indigenes of Offa.”

Kwara Governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed also commended the organiser for reviving Ijakadi Festival, adding that it will go a long way in uniting the community.

The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Otunba Taiwo Joseph, said the state would partner with the community to make the festival a tourist attraction.

The National President of ODU, Alhaji Najeemdeen Yasin, said the Offa community is known with a popular slogan “Ijakadi Loro Offa’, meaning Ijakadi is the tradition of the Offa people.

“This slogan does not translate to the ordinary meaning that the Offa people are pugnacious or that they fight for no cause, rather it depicts the struggle to achieve or excel.

“Offa people are always on top of whatever challenges that confront them and they fight and find solutions to such problems.

“This concept is now demonstrated in two wrestlers trying to defeat each other,’’ Yasin said.

According to him, the festival is a forum to bring the sons and daughters of Offa together to work for the progress and development of the community.

December 29, 2016
’40 SUVs recovered from perm sec’

The Federal Government said it has recovered 40 brand new SUVs and other vehicles from a former Permanent Secretary who single-handedly appropriated the vehicles to himself when he left office.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Lagos on the effectiveness of the anti-corruption strategy of the government.

Mohammed said that government is being guided by a well-articulated strategy in its fight against corruption contrary to the misconception in certain circles that the government is fighting corruption without a strategy.

He said the government was not just fixated on the only prosecution, but in taking preventive measures to make corruption unattractive.

The minister stressed that the strict enforcement of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has largely reduced the diversion of government funds into secret accounts.

He said the TSA has also reduced the constraints in fishing out ghost workers in the public service in most states in the country.

According to him, other measures to strengthen the anti-corruption fight, included the establishment of Presidential Committee on Asset Recovery, Asset Tracing Committee, Asset Register, and the Whistle Blower Policy.

The Minister announced a plan by the government, through the Code of Conduct Bureau, to commence test-run of electronic asset declaration starting in 2017.

He said the new method would facilitate compliance and enhance search and retrieval of data on the assets of public officers.

In addition, he said, the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption is working with relevant MDAs, especially the National Bureau of Statistics, to improve data collection on corruption indicators.

”Once perfected, the data will be shared with government periodically if possible, as regularly as government receives data on inflation and unemployment trends.

“The data will indicate trends in corruption and influence government measures to correct the situation before it gets out of hand as we have now,” he said.

The minister explained that the Presidential Committee on Asset Recovery will meet regularly to collate reports from key law enforcement agencies on government’s anti-corruption effort.

He said the committee would share information, intelligence and review challenges faced in anti-corruption efforts and give directives on the way forward.

The minister added that the Asset Register has made the looting of government physical assets, notably vehicles, very difficult by political appointees, senior and middle-level officers.

He said the recent approval of Whistle Blower policy was designed to further enhance government’s effort to recover looted funds.

”People who give credible and useful information to government that leads to recovery of stolen public assets will be rewarded with between 2.5 per cent to 5 per cent of the recovered fund.

“Government will keep the identity of the whistle blower absolutely confidential,” he said.

Mohammed said the government is finalizing the constitution of an Asset Tracing Team to work with internationally reputably bodies to trace and recover public assets in private hands.

”In this regard, government will also escalate the use of non-conviction-based asset recovery methods to boost revenue and diminish corruption and the perception that crime pays or criminals can keep their loot,” he said.

The minister disclosed that the administration is collaborating with Nigerians in the diaspora and international civil society organisations in the campaign for the return of looted assets.

December 29, 2016