The Nation Newspaper

Tag: criticise

  • Minister to media: criticise, don’t denigrate Buhari

    Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed has said the media is free to criticise President Muhammadu Buhari, but not to denigrate him or his office.

    He spoke yesterday in Abuja when he visited the Peoples Daily Newspapers, in continuation of the advocacy for the National Campaign Against Fake News, which was launched in July.

    Mohammed said in the rush to de-market the President and his administration, some mainstream media organisations have resorted to the use of uncouth language to denigrate the person and office of President Buhari.

    “In fact, fake news has taken another dimension. Now, it is not uncommon for otherwise respectable media organisations to accuse the President without backing up their accusation with evidence. The latest of such occurred two days ago, when a newspaper wrote an editorial in which it resorted to the use of uncouth language to denigrate President Buhari on the farmers-herders clashes and other issues.

    ”In their eagerness to de-market the President, they forget that he is the living symbol of the nation, and that by denigrating him, they are denigrating the country, including themselves,” he said.

    The minister said because of the impressive performance of the present administration, the critics knew they could not take on the government on issues pertaining to performance, hence their resort to fake news.

    “They are unrelenting, because fake news is the only weapon they have against a performing administration like ours. They know they cannot take on us on the issue of infrastructure, economy, fight against corruption, agricultural development, etc. They have, therefore, resorted to using fake news to de-market our administration. Thankfully, they are failing,” he said.

    Mohammed said although the National Campaign Against Fake News has not discouraged its purveyors, it has brought the phenomenon to the front burner and heightened public discourse on the dangers of fake news, which, he said, has the capacity to instigate religious and ethnic crisis.

    The minister, who described fake news as a global menace, said although countries had been evolving ways to deal with the issue, Nigeria’s approach was to appeal to the sense of responsibility of media practitioners, bloggers and social media influencers.

     

     

     

     

  • Why elite criticise Buhari, by Presidency

    The Presidency has said efforts to get the nation out of state of misery brought about by recession are yielding many results in the area of agriculture.

    According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, as part of the plan, the price of fertiliser has gone down to about N5,500 per bag.

    He said: “Because the elite don’t care for ordinary people, they are saying that government is doing nothing but we are doing a lot for the ordinary people.

    “They don’t want us to talk about the 14 solar power projects that have been licensed to boost electricity supply in the country; the Mambila power project which will soon leave the drawing boards and the many Chinese projects, including the standard gauge railway.

    “This country has more important things to talk about instead of dwelling on trivia.”

    He said the price of a bag of fertiliser is down from about  N9,000 to N10,000 per bag to N5,500.

    “This country has about 32 fertiliser blending plants that have remained idle for many years. But about half that number are now in production with many of them running three shifts a day,” he said.

    Some of them, he said, employ as many as 100 workers.

    On the flagship agricultural programme of rice production in the country, the Presidential spokesman said: “While in 2014, we bought 1.2 million tonnes of rice from Thailand, only 58,000 tonnes were imported last year.”

    He said as a result of the country’s growing rice production, assisted by the decision by the government to deny foreign exchange through the Central Bank for the importation of rice “parboiled rice mills in some Asian countries are shutting down because Nigeria, one of the world’s largest importers, is not buying.

    “Five of such mills in Thailand servicing Nigeria have stopped production due to the withdrawal of our patronage.

    “Currently, government is watching with keen interest, the growing investment in rice milling by the private sector and will continue to give encouragement through the Ministry of Agriculture to such efforts by BUA Industries  in Jigawa, Dangote in Kano, OLAM and WACOTT in Nassarawa and Kebbi and what a consortium of businessmen lead by a former Governor in Anambra State are doing.

    “The increase in the volume of rice production and processing is already saving this country a lot of money.”

    Garba also indicated that the administration’s agricultural revolution was bringing about other socio-economic changes in the country.

    He said: “A recent survey in two urban areas in Jigawa State, the capital Dutse and Kiyawa, showed that jobless young men are migrating from motor cycle taxi, achaba, to farming. In Kiyawa, it takes a long wait to catch a motor cycle taxi because they are rapidly disappearing. The young men are moving to the farms.

    “These are development issues in the country that our media should pay attention to.”

  • Obaseki to reporters: criticise me with facts

    Obaseki to reporters: criticise me with facts

    Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has said reporters can criticise his administration with facts, if they avoid sentiments or hearsay.

    The governor said he would welcome constructive criticisms but would not allow such criticisms to derail him from delivering on his campaign promises.

    Obaseki spoke in Benin, the state capital, when he opened this year’s Press Week of the state Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

    Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie, the governor called for continued cordial relationship with the media.

    He said: “We are open to criticisms. But make sure you get your facts correct before you criticise us.

    “It (journalism) is one profession that I have come to respect. But I respect journalists the more, if they know what they are doing.”

    Chairman of the event and Iyase of Benin Kingdom, Chief Sam Igbe, hailed the state council for finding a common ground between the government and the Oba of Benin.

    He said: “At all times, imbibe that spirit of unionism, respect the government of the day and participate in all state affairs. In whatever you are doing, be very sure that you put it above your self-interest.

    “Investigate whatever you are publishing; do not publish what will bring you to your knees for an apology?”

  • Southwest youths criticise ex-NPA chief

    Former Chairman of the Board of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Olabode George, has been criticised for “his divisive and self-serving politics” as it relates to the activities of the Chief Ishola Filani-led Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southwest.

    In an open letter to the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the Southwest PDP Youth Vanguard, urged the party leadership to call George to order for his “surreptitious moves to throw the party in the zone into another round of crisis”.

    The group frowned at George’s opposition to the decision of the Extra-Ordinary Session of the Southwest Congress to nominate a replacement for Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola in accordance with the provisions of Part 7 VII, Section 28, Subsection 3, 4 and 5 of the party’s constitution and the order of the Federal High Court.

    In a July, 15 letter, which was signed by the group’s President and Secretary, Alhaji Akeem Salami and Mr. Kayode Joseph, the group wondered “how Bode George succeeded in snatching a position zoned to Osun State by single-handedly facilitating the appointment of one Dr. Remi Akintoye from Lagos State as acting National Secretary.”

    The group, however, praised one the leaders in the zone, Prince Buruji Kashamu, “for his selfless efforts at repositioning the party in the zone.”

    It urged the national leadership “to identify, empower and encourage such leaders across the length and breadth of the country”.