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Tag: Lai Mohammed

  • FG Won’t Be Stampeded By Terror Alerts – Lai Mohammed

    FG Won’t Be Stampeded By Terror Alerts – Lai Mohammed

    Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has said that the Federal Government won’t be stampeded by the terror advisories released by the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom.

    According to him, Nigeria will not be stampeded by whatever any government decides to tell its people living in Abuja and parts of the country.

    He made this known on Wednesday during a briefing after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    Mohammed declared that the US acted within her rights to advise her citizens to go home but Nigeria won’t be stampeded by such warning or action.

    He underscored that the government has in the last few months taken a firm handle of security, urging citizens to avoid liking or sharing materials that could incite panic.

    The US and Britain had on Sunday warned of possible terror attacks in Abuja, especially at government buildings, places of worship, schools and other centres where large crowds gather.

    The US further urged its citizens and Embassy staff in Nigeria’s political capital to leave but the Department of States Services urged residents of Abuja and Nigerians in general to remain calm, saying security agencies are right on top of the situation.

  • PDP will loot treasury dry if given access to power again – Lai Mohammed

    PDP will loot treasury dry if given access to power again – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will loot the country’s treasury dry if they are given another opportunity to be in power.

    Mohammed stated this while speaking in Tanzania, in reaction to the controversy surrounding the return of N122.4 million by members of the PDP’s national working committee (NWC).

    “If a man can steal from himself, he will steal without any restrain from other people. The problem is that PDP will never change and like they say, a leopard will never change its spots. When PDP lost elections in 2015, they admitted that they had learnt their lessons, but obviously, they have learnt nothing.

    God forbid, if they ever have access to public purse again, they will leave no kobo there. We know what we met when we assumed office in 2015, we are still wailing from it. We hope Nigerians have now seen from this scandal the intention of PDP if they ever have access to public treasury.”

    Mohammed said the party should be questioned on the source of the funds shared, adding that as a member of the NWC of the APC, no money was ever paid into his account.

    “Never did I remember that any form of money, call it, accommodation, or whatsoever, was ever paid into the account of any member of the NWC of either ACN or APC” he said.

  • Atiku’s Blueprint a Poor Copy of Buhari’s Economic Plan – Lai Mohammed

    Atiku’s Blueprint a Poor Copy of Buhari’s Economic Plan – Lai Mohammed

    The Federal Government has described the economic blueprint recently unveiled by Atiku Abubakar as a “crude attempt at copying all that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has done’’.

    Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the blueprint is a poor version of the present government’s economic strides.

    “Let me say, straight away, that the so-called blueprint is a crude attempt at copying all that the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has done, especially in the areas of job creation, infrastructure financing, relationship with the private sector, rejuvenation of the power sector, poverty reduction, debt management and the overall management of the economy,” Alhaji Mohammed asserted.

    The minister expressed shock that an opposition party that has on several occasions criticized its policies is currently adopting it for its campaign,

    According to Him, the present administration has made giant strides through its economic blue print which has translated into the creation of over three hundred and two thousand jobs and over eight thousand kilometers of road across the country amongst others.

  • Threat To Kidnap Buhari, El-Rufai Laughable – Lai Mohammed

    Threat To Kidnap Buhari, El-Rufai Laughable – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has described the threat to abduct President Muhammadu Buhari as laughable.

    In a video released at the weekend, the abductors of train passengers in Kaduna threatened to kidnap and kill Buhari and Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State.

    Addressing reporters after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Buhari at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday, the minister said the terrorists were also spreading propaganda.

    On senators threat to impeach Buhari if the rising insecurity is not addressed within six weeks, Mohammed said the administration was on top of the matter, Mohammed said “resolution passed by Senators, as rightly said, it was passed when we were deliberating, but we thank them for their patriotism and their concern, but we are working round the clock, 24 hours, to ensure that the situation is brought under control.

    “I want to assure you that the President is aware of all these and as a matter of fact, I think tomorrow there’s going to be another Security Council meeting.

    So, it’s not a matter the President is taking lightly and like I’ll always, say some of the measures we’re going to take are not measure that you can discuss openly here, but we’re as concerned as you are, we’re not going to abandon our responsibility.

    “We are doing everything possible to ensure that the whole nation is well secure and it’s a matter of time to see results. As to those who have issued threats to Mr. President, I think it’s more of propaganda than anything. It’s laughable.”

  • Why FG Can’t Remove Fuel Subsidy Now – Lai Mohammed

    Why FG Can’t Remove Fuel Subsidy Now – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Communication and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that the Federal Government cannot, at the moment, remove subsidies on the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol.

    Mohammed, who spoke during an exclusive interview to Reuters in London, said many other nations were introducing measures to help citizens cope with high oil energy prices, hence Africa’s most populous country could not be an exception.

    Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil exporter but still has to import almost all its fuel needs due to a lack of refining capacity. The Federal Government shelved plans to abolish fuel subsidies earlier this year, a move that raised concerns with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    “When you consider the chaos, the social disharmony and … instability such an action (abolishing subsidies) would facilitate, is it worth it? I don’t think so,” the Minister said.

    The Minister believes that a new industry law that allocates money to oil-producing communities would stop attacks and blamed the European Union’s climate change policies for stifling investment in the sector.

    He added, “We believe that climate change is real and important for emission control, but there is a bit of double standard in the EU policy regarding climate change,” he said.

    In addition to attacks on oil infrastructure, several parts of the north are plagued by violence orchestrated by bandits while dozens were killed in church attacks in Kaduna and Ondo States last month.

    “We are leaving the country much more secure than we met it,” Mohammed said.

    He equally noted that President Muhammadu Buhari administration has made progress made against Boko Haram since 2015.

    Nigeria suffers intermittent fuel shortages and has raised its deficit forecast twice this year and increased borrowing to cover the cost of the subsidy.

    The country’s petroleum production has also fallen short of government targets, with $1 billion in revenue lost to crude oil theft in the first quarter of this year, according to the sector regulator.

    Similarly, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) expressed worry over the rising incidents of vandalism and theft along the key pipeline conveying refined petroleum products to Mosimi, Ibadan, Ore, and Ilorin fuel depots.

    NMDPRA Chief Executive, Farouk Ahmed, said this when the top executives of the South-west Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) visited him in Abuja.

    While the nation suffers intermittent fuel shortages and has raised its deficit forecast twice this year and increased borrowing to cover the cost of the subsidy, its petroleum production has also fallen short of government targets, with $1 billion in revenue lost to crude oil theft in the first quarter of this year, according to the sector regulator.

  • FG in dialogue with abductors of Kaduna-Abuja train passengers – Lai Mohammed

    FG in dialogue with abductors of Kaduna-Abuja train passengers – Lai Mohammed

    The Federal Government has opened a channel of discussion with terrorists who abducted passengers on a Kaduna-Abuja bound train in March. 2022.

    Recall that bandits attacked the Kaduna-Abuja train, killed eight persons and abducted scores.

    The bandits had threatened to kill all the victims if the federal government failed to negotiate with them.

    However, nine days after the attack, the terrorists released the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Hassan, after an alleged N100 million ransom.

    Speaking with journalists in Kaduna on Friday, relatives and friends of the abducted passengers said they have been assured by the Federal Government that a channel of discussion with the terrorists has been opened.

    “After the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, we heard from the Federal Government through the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed that the government is in dialogue. That government is already discussing with the abductors of our relatives,” said Dr Jimoh Fatai, who has been designated as chairman of the group pressing for the release of their loved ones.

    “We are happy about it, we note it, we acknowledge it and we appreciate the efforts of the government in that regard. What we are now appealing for is that government should speed up the process,” he said

  • Buhari’s Govt not overwhelmed by insecurity – Lai Mohammed counters Obasanjo

    Buhari’s Govt not overwhelmed by insecurity – Lai Mohammed counters Obasanjo

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Monday, said the Muhammadu Buhari administration is not overwhelmed by the security challenges in the country.

    Recall that former President, Olusegun Obasanjo had on Sunday said the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is overwhelmed by insecurity.

    Obasanjo while reacting to the recent Kaduna train attack said Nigerians travelling are no longer safe on the road, in the train and at the airport

    He called for concerted efforts to stem the tide of insecurity in Nigeria, regretting that the Buhari administration had been overwhelmed by the situation.

    Reacting, Mohammed on a TVC programme, condoled with the families of the victims, citing the various Federal Government’s efforts in tackling the security challenges in the country.

    He said the government is fast-tracking the installation of some security gadgets on railway tracks to ensure adequate surveillance.

    “The Federal Government is working toward ensuring that such incident does not reoccur.

    “One of the things that the government wants to do is to fast-track the installation of a surveillance and monitoring system, not just on the Abuja-Kaduna rail track.

    “But also on the Lagos-Ibadan and Warri-Itakpe rail tracks to ensure that at any given time we will be able to monitor from the control room,’’ he said.

    Mohammed claimed that in spite of the security challenges, the military and other security personnel were doing their best and have recorded successes in their fight against terrorism.

    “ We must give kudos to our military; you know that we are not fighting a conventional war but terrorism, hence the need for everyone to support the security agencies so as to win over the menace.

    “The Federal Government has also given the military the enabling environment to continue in the fight against terrorism and banditry,’’ he said.

    The minister also assured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s commitment to ensure that every state is secured.

  • We’re Expecting Twitter to Open Nigerian Office in Q1 2022 — Lai Mohammed

    We’re Expecting Twitter to Open Nigerian Office in Q1 2022 — Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said on Monday, that the microblogging site, Twitter, is expected to open its Nigerian office before the end of March 2022.

    The minister, who disclosed this when he appeared on a radio progarmme, the Radio Link, in Abuja, said the move is part of the agreement the company reached with the Federal Government last year to have the ban imposed on it lifted.

    He said: “Twitter also agreed to comply with all payable taxes, as they are operating under Nigerian laws and this they agreed to do within one week of restoring their operations.

    ”Twitter agreed to immediately work with the Federal Government in the area of code of conduct, that was in line with global best practices

    “Twitter agreed to immediately enroll Nigerians in its law enforcement portals and Partners Support Portal.

    “The law enforcement portal will provide dedicated channels for the Nigerian law enforcement agencies to escalate reports on contents that violate the code of conduct or national laws.

    “Similarly, the partner support portal provides a direct channel for government to engage Twitter staff to manage prohibited contents.”

    According to him, other social media platforms operating in the country will be expected to follow suit in due course, as the government vowed to ensure that only wholesome content was allowed to pass through the platforms henceforth.

    Mohammed maintained that the government’s intention to regulate social media was borne out of the desire to sanitise social media and not to stifle the freedom of speech and expression or strangulate the media as some people might believe.

    He said: “We are going to regulate the social media not because we want to stifle the media or we want to violate the right of expression. We want to ensure that only wholesome contents are available on social media.

    “Recently, we were all shocked when an 18-year old boy, accused of killing his 21-year old girlfriend for money rituals, confessed that he learnt the diabolical act on social media. The teenager, in collaboration with his friends, cut off the head of the victim and was burning it in a pot when they were apprehended.”

    “The government has the responsibility to ensure that social media platforms were responsible and the contents they displayed are not harmful to young people, as well as the unity of the country,” he said.

    He reiterated that relevant laws and the broadcasting code would be amended to ensure that the agreement reached with Twitter was applicable to other social media platforms.

  • FG Directs Filmmakers To Avoid Money Ritual contents

    FG Directs Filmmakers To Avoid Money Ritual contents

    The Federal Government on Monday directed filmmakers to eschew money ritual contents in their movies.

    Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this during a media visit to Daily Trust office in Abuja.

    The minister said the confession of some money ritual suspects that they learnt the heinous act on social media have boosted the resolve of the Federal Government to sanitise the social media.

    He said, “Many have also blamed Nollywood for featuring money rituals in some of its movies, saying this has negatively influenced the vulnerable youth. To mitigate this, I have directed the National Film and Video Censors Board, the body set up to regulate the film and video industry in Nigeria, to take this issue into consideration while performing its role of censoring and classifying films and videos.

    “I have also directed NFVCB to engage with stakeholders in the film industry in order to express the concerns of the government and Nigerians on the need to eschew money ritual content in their movies.”

    Earlier, Mohammed said, “For those who may still be in doubt, ritual killings have assumed a worrisome dimension in recent years…Recently, in Ogun State, four young men, one of whom is 18 years old, murdered their 20-year-old female friend for money rituals.

    “One of them said they learnt about using human parts for money rituals from social media. Of course, you are also aware of a case involving a female student of the University of Jos who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend for ritual purposes. These killings have been widely reported by the media.

    “The fact that some of these ritualists said they learnt the money-making tricks from some social media platforms has given a further fillip to our campaign to rid social media of unwholesome content.”

    Mohammed said the government won’t allow the social media space to be suffused with dangerous content, adding that the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), won’t relent in its efforts to ensure responsible use of social media.

    The minister appealed to religious, traditional and political leaders to be part of efforts to reorientate youths to realise that success comes through hard work, not money rituals.

  • Our Engagement With Twitter Has Been Fruitful – Lai Mohammed

    Our Engagement With Twitter Has Been Fruitful – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Thursday, said the Federal Government’s engagement with microblogging site, Twitter has been fruitful.

    He stated this while receiving the United States Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Akunna Cook in his office in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

    Mohammed again explained the motive behind the banning of Twitter in the country by the Federal Government, saying certain persons were using the microblogging site to cause disunity in the country.

    “Twitter was suspended because it became a platform of choice for those who are working for the disunity of this country,” he said.

    “This is a country of 200 ethnic groups, very multi-religious and there is a lot of forth lines that Twitter was exploiting.

    “Before the suspension, there were a lot of notices and warnings. I am glad to say that our engagement with Twitter has been very productive and useful for both parties. The outcome of that engagement is going to help us not just in our engagement with Twitter, but in engagement with all social media platforms.”

    The minister also solicited collaboration between Nigeria and the United States in repositioning the nation’s creative and culture industry, especially in improving the quality of Nollywood movies.

    According to him, the Nigerian government is working hard to reposition the creative and culture industry, which has been badly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, because of the immense contribution of the sector to the nation’s GDP.

    He listed some strategic interventions from the Nigerian Government in the Creative Industry including the N22.9 billion Central Bank of Nigeria Creative Industry Financing Initiatives; the N1 billion Bank of Industry Nollyfund; another N1 billion Bank of Industry Fashion and Beauty Fund; N-Power Creative and Project Act Nollywood Federal Grant.

    In her remarks, Cook asked the Nigerian government to invest in the digital sector, saying it is the nation’s future.

    She commended the Federal Government for refurbishing the National Theatre, Lagos which, she said, will create an eco-system and provide phenomenal opportunities for the stakeholders in the Creative Industry.

    The US official also pledged her country’s readiness to collaborate with Nigeria towards boosting the nation’s creative industry.