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Tag: Lai Mohammed

  • Fed Govt still tracking Chibok girls, says Lai Mohammed

    Fed Govt still tracking Chibok girls, says Lai Mohammed

    Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed has restated the Federal Government’s commitment to tracking and locating the missing Chibok girls.

    He said it was important for the military to adopt less lethal procedures when compared with the drastic measures employed by neigbouring countries along the Sambisa Forest.

    The minister said the public should hail the military and provide information to further decapitate insurgents.

    Mohammed, who spoke on a Channels TV programme, Sunrise, via phone, said: “We are a bit constrained. I know that some countries have set fire around the Sambisa forest to smoke out the Boko Haram insurgents, but we are being careful because we are still looking for the Chibok girls and we do not want unnecessary collateral casualties.

    “I know that many of our neighbours like Mali and Niger have employed certain procedures. Because of our major objective that we are still looking for the Chibok girls, so in some parts of Sambisa forest, we cannot adopt such drastic approaches.”

    The minister stated that prior to the assumption of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the entire Northeast was almost taken over by the insurgents.

    He restated the need to applaud the military for recovering about 20 local governments from the entire councils lose to the sect.

    “People must own the war. They must report suspicious movements and complement efforts of the military. How many bars or football viewing centres in Lagos can you secure? No, but if you have enough information to beef up security, it would help,” he added.

    “That is absolutely incorrect. It is possible for insurgents to lay ambush on the road. It doesn’t mean that they are in control of those local governments. I travelled 89 kilometres from Maiduguri to Bama.

    “We are not saying we are going to route or eliminate ambush or attacks overnight; it’s never done in any insurgency. But what we are just giving the fact, less than a year ago, the entire Northeast was almost in their control, today they don’t have that kind of command.

    “It’s just about one local government that they have swayed at all,” the minister said.

    He emphasised that the public should complement efforts of the military by contributing to intelligence gathering.

  • FG ‘still tracking’ Chibok girls

    FG ‘still tracking’ Chibok girls

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has restated commitment of the Federal Government to tracking the location of the missing Chibok girls.

    Mohammed said it was important for the military to adopt less lethal procedures compared with the drastic measures employed by neigbouring countries along the Sambisa Forest.

    He said the public should commend the military and provide needed information to further decapitate the insurgents.

    Mohammed, who spoke during Channels TV, Sunrise programme, said “we are a bit constrained. I know that some countries have set certain fire around the Sambisa forest in order to smoke out the Boko Haram insurgents but we are being careful because we are still looking for the Chibok girls and we do not want unnecessary collateral casualties.

    “I know that many of our neighbours like Mali and Niger have employed certain procedures because of our major objective that we are still looking for the Chibok girls, so in some parts of Sambisa forest, we cannot adopt such drastic approaches.”

    The 235 Chibok girls were declared missing for about 300 days, while efforts were made to ensure their safe arrival.

    The Minister stated that prior to the assumption of the current administration; the entire north east was almost taken over by the insurgents.

    However, he restated need to applaud the military for recovering about 20 local governments from the entire councils lose to the sect.

    “People must own the war. They must report suspicious movements and complement efforts of the military. How many bars or football viewing centres in Lagos can you secure? No, but if you have enough information to beef up the security, it would help,” he added.

    “That is absolutely incorrect. It is possible for insurgents to lay ambush on the road. It doesn’t mean that they are in control of those local governments. I travelled 89 kilometres from Maiduguri to Bama.

    “We are not saying we are going to route or eliminate ambush or attacks overnight. It’s never done in any insurgency but what we are just giving the fact, less than a year ago, the entire north east was
    almost in their control, today they don’t have that kind of command. It’s just about one local government that they have swayed at all,” the Minister said.

    He emphasized that the public should complement efforts of the military by contributing to intelligence gathering.

  • Fuel queues: Nigerians paying for Jonathan’s sins – Minister

    Fuel queues: Nigerians paying for Jonathan’s sins – Minister

    The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, on Monday said the present fuel queues across the country were Nigerians way of paying for the sins of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

    He made the remark while fielding questions from journalists at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

    Muhammed briefed journalists in the company of Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma.

    The minister noted that Jonathan’s administration failed to make provision for fuel subsidy as far back as August 2014.

    The present fuel scarcity, he said, is not as a result of unavailability of the product in the country, but due to distribution problem.

    He said: “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.”

  • ISIS figures on Boko Haram attacks, killings a hoax – FG

    ISIS figures on Boko Haram attacks, killings a hoax – FG

    The Federal Government on Monday reacted to claims made by the Islamic State on attacks number of deaths caused by Boko Haram in the last two months.

    In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the claims as a hoax,  saying  the imaginary figures were part of ISIS strategy to shore up the morale of its dispersed and defeated fellow terrorists in Nigeria.

    He said ”Apart from these fake figures, we are aware of the planned release of old videos of Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria through the terrorists’ preferred channel to give the impression that they have continued to carry out spectacular attacks. Those videos are neither recent nor genuine.

    ”The ISIS/Boko Haram propaganda is being deliberately timed to coincide with the December 31, 2015 deadline issued to the military by the President to decimate the terrorists, and is also aimed at distracting the military and striking at its all-time high morale.

    ”But the truth of the matter is that the capability of the military has improved drastically, and there is a higher level of awareness among Nigerians concerning the war against terrorism, which has led them (Nigerians) to increase their support for the troops on the frontline and to also win the war.

    ”Therefore, the figures being pushed out by ISIS on behalf of Boko Haram represent nothing but a figment of the terrorists’ imagination. We recently visited Bama, from where they once ran their phony Caliphate, but all we saw were gallant troops holding sway. We even shared a delicious lunch of ‘balango’ (a kind of suya) and soft drinks with the troops.

    ”We therefore wonder where the terrorists have been carrying out their so-called spectacular attacks, as indicated by ISIS, when indeed the capability of the shameless cowards has been so degraded that all they can do now is to target innocent women and children, using equally innocent children and women as their bomb carriers.”

  • Govt to diversify economy with creative industry, says Lai Mohammed

    Govt to diversify economy with creative industry, says Lai Mohammed

    DURING a recent visit by the Country Director of the British Council, Ms. Connie Price, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the creative industry, as well as culture, has a great role to play in the ongoing diversification of Nigeria’s economy.

    Receiving Ms. Price in his office in Abuja last Monday, the Minister said the Federal Government would not restrict its efforts at diversifying the economy to agriculture and solid minerals.

    “This government, even before knowing that the price of crude oil was going to plummet to about $38 per barrel, had promised Nigerians during its campaign that it is going to diversify the economy. Diversification of our economy is not just limited to agriculture or solid minerals or even the real sector. I think one area where we need capital investment is in the area of culture because this abounds everywhere.

    “But our biggest challenge so far is how do we harness this abundant cultural heritage and create an economy out of it? There is virtually no state in Nigeria today that cannot boast of 3, 4 or 5 cultural industries, either pottery, painting, textile making or leather works,” he said.

    The Minister also sought the support of the British Council in assisting the agencies under his ministry to rediscover their capacity and revive the cultural industry as a major source of revenue for the nation.

    Responding, Price said the diversification of the economy had been a huge challenge in Britain because of the country’s over-reliance on industries.

    “People might not realize this but this has been an issue in the UK until very recently, particularly in the North of our country where many cities have been dependent on industries and the industries have now gone and we have empty factories,” she said.

    The Country Director was accompanied on her courtesy visit by the Arts Director, Ms. Ojoma Ocha, and the Partnership Director, Mr. Chikoli Onyemerela.

  • LAI MOHAMMED WOOS BRITISH COUNCIL FOR NOLLYWOOD, OTHERS

    LAI MOHAMMED WOOS BRITISH COUNCIL FOR NOLLYWOOD, OTHERS

    MINISTER of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that the creative industry as well as culture have a great role to play in the ongoing diversification of Nigeria’s economy, at a time of dwindling earnings from crude oil.

    Receiving the Country Director of the British Council, Ms. Connie Price, in his office in Abuja on Monday, the Minister said the Federal Government would not restrict its efforts at diversifying the economy to agriculture and and solid minerals.

    “This government, even before knowing that the price of crude oil was going to plummet to about $38 per barrel, had promised Nigerians during its campaign that it is going to diversify the economy. Diversification of our economy is not just limited to agriculture or solid minerals or even the real sector. I think one area where we need capital investment is in the area of culture because this abounds everywhere.

    ”But our biggest challenge so far is how do we harness this abundant cultural heritage and create an economy out of it? There is virtually no state in Nigeria today that cannot boast of 3, 4 or 5 cultural industries, either pottery, painting, textile making or leather works,” he said.

    Alhaji Mohammed identified inadequate knowledge and the capacity to translate the nation’s abundant cultural heritage into a viable economy as the bane of the sector, and therefore sought the assistance of the British Council to support his ministry to surmount the challenges.

    “This is one area I believe you can assist us either in the area of capacity building or in the area of infrastructure. But more importantly in the area of organizing how these things work in a co-operative manner,” he said.

    The Minister also sought the support of the British Council in assisting the agencies under his ministry to rediscover their capacity and revive the cultural industry as a major source of revenue for the nation.

    He expressed optimism that through the culture and the creative industry, women could be empowered to acquire skills that would enable them to explore the industry and be economically independent.

    Responding, the Country Director said the diversification of the economy had been a huge challenge in Britain because of the country’s over-reliance on industries.

    “People might not realize this but this has been an issue in the UK until very recently, particularly in the North of our country where many cities have been dependent on industries and the industries have now gone and we have empty factories,” she said.

    Ms. Price said her country had now turned its thinking away from mono-economic dependence by giving vent to its culture and creative industries, which were now bringing billions of pounds into the British economy.

    According to Ms. Price, initially Britain witnessed a crisis of management in its cultural institutions because of their orientation as agencies of state that relied solely on state funding, but noted that through the diversification of the economy, the agencies had been re-orientated to think creatively in order to earn revenue instead of depending on government.

    She expressed satisfaction with the determination of the Minister to use the culture and creative industry to empower women, saying the British Council was extremely committed to supporting women empowerment.

    The Country Director was accompanied on her courtesy visit by the Arts Director, Ms. Ojoma Ocha, and the Partnership Director, Mr. Chikoli Onyemerela.

  • FG alerts on planned Boko Haram abduction

    FG alerts on planned Boko Haram abduction

    The Federal Government alerted Nigerians on Friday about Boko Haram plans to carry out another abduction similar to the Chibok episode.

    A statement issued by the Ministry of Information and Culture said the sect plans to abduct students or foreigners in their latest fight for survival.

    The statement signed by Mr. Segun Adeyemi, Special Assistance to Minister of Information and Culture, quoted the minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, as saying that  the sect is cash trapped, hence its desire to raise fund through ransom.

    The statement reads: “The Federal Government warned on Friday that Boko Haram terrorists, who have been beaten and put on the run by the military, are planning another sensational abduction of pupils/students or foreigners in a desperate effort to raise funds, through ransom, for food, medical and arms supply.

    “Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the planned abduction is in line with the terrorists’ new modus operandi of focusing on soft targets, having being routed from their stronghold and their capacity to stage spectacular attacks substantially degraded.”

    The statement said while the largely defeated terrorists have now concentrated their attacks on soft targets, like motor parks, schools and entertainment centres, they have been decimated to a level that they are now incapable of staging spectacular attacks like they used to do.

    ”The kidnap of the Chibok girls in 2014, which attracted global attention to the terrorist group, is what the sect is now trying to repeat, hoping it can find vulnerable targets, especially schools, or a group of foreigners outside the frontline states.

    ”The plan by Boko Haram is also part of an overall strategy by the terrorists to seek to negatively impact on the psyche of the gallant troops who have routed them (terrorists) from their stronghold and also give the impression that they have not been largely defeated by the December 2015 deadline given by this administration to effectively degrade the insurgency in the Northeast.”

     

     

  • FEC meeting shifted

    FEC meeting shifted

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting slated for Friday has been postponed to Monday, December 21.

    The meeting is expected to put finishing touches to the 2016 Budget before it is forwarded to the National Assembly for consideration and passage.

    The budget is scheduled for presentation to a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

    On why the emergency meeting was postponed, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed said: “The meeting was not cancelled. It was postponed till Monday afternoon. The reason is that you know there was a meeting of the National Economic Council on Thursday.

    “At that meeting, many of the key cabinet members made presentations. There were some fallouts from those presentations that will necessitate going back to the original document that should have been discussed on Friday.

    “So we were given time between now and Monday to go and rejig our figures because when the NEC met, certain issues were thrown up that if they were not resolved, would distort the entire budget proposal. So we will all go back and each ministry will do its rejiging.”

     

     

  • Industrial harmony panacea to national development – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said industrial harmony is the panacea for the country’s growth and development.

    The minister said this during an enlarge meeting with staff of the ministry.

    He appealed to the staff to ensure industrial peace and harmony, saying that is necessary for the country’s desired change.

    ”As you are all aware, the Buhari administration has been working round the clock in its efforts to put our country back on a sound footing. The task will not be easy by any measure as things have really gone bad in all spheres of life.

    ”This is why I am using this occasion to appeal to you to ensure industrial peace and harmony, so as to provide the enabling environment for the efforts of the government to yield fruits. Without industrial peace, there can be no progress,” he said.

    He also urged the staff to be ready and willing to make sacrifices for the nation’s progress.

    He added: ”In this era of change, we expect efficiency, punctuality, high level of discipline and total dedication to duty. Nothing less will do. On our part, we will continue to meet our obligations to you, within the limits of available resources, because we believe that you possess what it takes to change our country for the better.”

     

  • Buhari task African broadcasters on content development

    Buhari task African broadcasters on content development

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday tasked public broadcasters in Africa on the need to develop rich content in order to be a catalyst for growth.

    He spoke at the opening of the 9th African Union of Broadcasting (AUB) General Assembly in Abuja.

    The Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), are the official hosts of the 9th AUB General Assembly.

    The President, who was represented by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji  Lai Mohammed, said public broadcasters in Africa should use the power of their reach to invest in quality content for the viewers, saying that in the “media industry, content is king.”

    He said: ”Broadcasting is not just about equipment, and technology is not an end itself but a means to an end. There has been too much focus on equipment without massive investment of time and resources into content.”

    Citing the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as an example of a public broadcaster that has leveraged on content to dominate the media space, the President said, ”they have become the catalyst for growth in the production and channel industry with spin-offs like BBC Foods, BBC Prime, BBC Worldwide and others. Their catalogue of content that they now sell all over the world is admirable.”

    He said the creation of content and world class production would create jobs, provide revenue for government and quality entertainment capable of increasing the broadcasters ‘share of the advertising pie.

    ”Therefore, I challenge you to be the stimulant for growth in your creative industries and serve the promotion of culture. You must not lose the younger generation who are fast changing their view of television, what they watch and how they watch it. If the issue of content is not addressed urgently, public broadcasters in Africa that once dominated the broadcasting landscape will have no viewers in the next 10 years,” President Buhari said.