Daybreak, Politics, Entertainment, Sport

Tag: Lai Mohammed

  • SERAP Sues Buhari, Lai Mohammed Over ‘Failure To Publish Copy Of Agreement With Twitter’

    SERAP Sues Buhari, Lai Mohammed Over ‘Failure To Publish Copy Of Agreement With Twitter’

    Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Muhammadu Buhari over “the failure to publish a copy of the agreement the Federal Government recently signed with Twitter, Inc, and the failure to publish the details of the terms and conditions of any such agreement”.

    Joined in the suit as the respondent is the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

    The Federal Government had in January lifted the suspension of Twitter operation in Nigeria, stating that, “Twitter has agreed to act with a respectful acknowledgment of Nigerian laws and the national culture and history”.

    But in suit number FHC/L/CS/238/2022 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP is asking the court to “direct and compel President Buhari and Alhaji Lai Mohammed to release and widely publish a copy of the agreement with Twitter, and the terms and conditions of any such agreement”.

    In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: “It is in the interest of justice to grant this application. Publishing the agreement would enable Nigerians to scrutinise it, seek legal remedies as appropriate, and ensure that the conditions for lifting the suspension of Twitter are not used as pretexts to suppress legitimate discourse”.

    SERAP is also arguing that “Publishing the agreement with Twitter would promote transparency, accountability, and help to mitigate threats to Nigerians’ rights online, as well as any interference with online privacy and freedom of expression”.

    It said, “any agreement with social media companies must meet the constitutional requirements of legality, necessity, proportionality, and legitimacy. Secretly agreed terms and conditions will fail these fundamental requirements”.

    SERAP is also seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Buhari and Alhaji Lai Mohammed to clarify the manner and scope in which the agreement with Twitter will be enforced, and whether the agreement incorporates respect for constitutional and international human rights”.

    “The government has a duty to demonstrate that the conditions for lifting the suspension of Twitter would not threaten or violate the enjoyment of Nigerians’ human rights online and that the conditions are in pursuit of a legitimate goal in a democratic society,” the agency said.

    The minister, SERAP added, “responded to our freedom of information request but his response is completely unsatisfactory, as he merely stated that the ‘details are in the public space,’ without sending a copy of the agreement signed with Twitter as requested”.

    The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Opeyemi Owolabi read in part: “Nigerians are entitled to their human rights, such as the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, privacy, peaceful assembly, and association, as well as public participation both offline and online.

    “The operation and enforcement of the agreement may be based on broadly worded restrictive laws, which may be used as pretexts to suppress legitimate discourse, interfere with online privacy, and deter the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression.”

    “The statement by the Federal Government announcing the lifting of the suspension of Twitter after seven months used overly broad terms and phrases like ‘prohibited publication’, ‘Nigerian laws’, ‘national culture and history’. These open-ended terms and phrases may be used to suppress the legitimate exercise of human rights online.

    “Any agreement with social media companies must not be used as a ploy to tighten government control over access to the internet, monitor internet activity, or to increase online censorship and the capacity of the government to restrict legitimate online content, contrary to standards on freedom of expression and privacy.”

    “Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee the right to hold opinions without interference, and the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers and through any medium.

    “The Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties impose duties on the government to ensure enabling environments for freedom of expression, privacy rights, and other human rights, and to protect their exercise.”

    Furthermore, it said that “While human rights law requires States to prohibit ‘advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, States must still satisfy the cumulative conditions of legality, necessity, proportionality and legitimacy in any agreement with social media companies.

    “The government has a legal obligation to promote universal Internet access, media diversity and independence, as well as ensure that any agreements with Twitter and other social media companies are not used to impermissibly restrict these fundamental human rights.”

    No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

  • FG Have Crushed Over 1000 Terrorists In 2021 – Lai Mohammed

    FG Have Crushed Over 1000 Terrorists In 2021 – Lai Mohammed

    Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who addressed a press conference in Lagos, said no fewer than 1000 terrorists were neutralised.

    He said while 22,000 insurgents surrendered, 2000 civilians were rescued in the outgoing year in addition to the Many arms and ammunition which were recovered, adding that several IED/bomb making factories of the ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists were destroyed.

    Lai Mohammad acknowledged that the biggest challenge of the Federal Government in the outgoing year is insecurity.

    According to him, despite the challenge, the military has been able to live up to expectations.

    “For the outgoing year in particular, the major challenge has been that of insecurity. In spite of this and the usual economic challenges, especially the dwindling resources available to the government, the Administration has availed itself creditably, as we will be demonstrating shortly.

    “Gentlemen, in the North East Zone under Operation HADIN KAI, a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic operations, coupled with a review of strategies, led to the neutralization of over 1000 terrorists, rescue of 2000 civilians and the surrender of over 22,000 terrorists including their families.

    “Despite the enormity of the challenge, our military has continued to live up to their billing,” he said.

    The Minister explained that to keep the country safe, the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) set up various operations across the country.

    According to the Minister, the effectiveness of the military was enhanced by the leadership provided by President Muhammadu Buhari and the unwavering commitment of the armed forces and its leadership.

    He stated that the procurement of “modern platforms for the armed forces” also helped “in raising the level of their operational readiness and efficiency, in addition to boosting their capabilities.”

    In the area of economy, the Minister stated that the recovery of the economy remained on a “steady path” throughout the year, recalling that the Nigerian economy was hit by the pandemic in mid- 2020, and the economic disruptions led to a recession.

    “The poor performance of the economy during the COVID-19 era affected output growth, trade, household welfare and livelihood. However, this led to a quick response by the federal government with the rolling out of effective fiscal and monetary policies as well as health-related policies intended to curb the spread of the pandemic and mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on the economy.

    “This has yielded considerable results. For example, the country’s domestic growth in the first three quarters of 2021 was positive, recording real GDP of 0.51 percent in Q1, 5.01 percent in Q2 and 4.03 percent in Q3 2021, This was an improvement from a declining performance in the first three quarters of 2020 (which led to economic recession) put at 1.87 percent in Q1, -6.10 percent in Q2 and -3.62 percent in Q3 2020.

    “Nevertheless, the fourth quarter 2020 recorded a slight improvement of 0.11 percent, ushering in positive growth rates in the three quarters of 2021. This economic performance in 2021 shows a steady improvement in growth over the last three quarters of 2020, and this can be attributed to government policies and strategies such as the Economic Sustainability Plan; the N500 billion COVID 19 Crisis Intervention Fund etc.”

    Mohammed reiterated that in spite of daunting challenges, the country made tremendous progress in 2021 in fighting insecurity, growing the economy, reforming the oil sector to spur more investments, emplacing world-class infrastructure, providing social safety net for the poor and most vulnerable in the society and also taking advantage of the huge opportunities offered by the Information and Communications Technology Sector.

    He added, “What we have done here is to highlight the major achievements, hence this is by no means exhaustive. That’s why we are also giving you a list of 100 achievements of the Buhari Administration in 2021, Success is not
    measured by the number of challenges you face, but by how you tackle the challenges. This is what the Administration has demonstrated by tackling insecurity headlong while also growing and diversifying the
    economy.

    “We want to most sincerely thank all Nigerians for their support and perseverance. We want to reassure the nation that President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to leave a legacy of a safe, secure and prosperous nation. We urge Nigerians not to relent in supporting our security forces, who continue to make sacrifices to keep our country safe.”

  • I Don’t Have COVID-19, Says Lai Mohammed

    I Don’t Have COVID-19, Says Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has denied media reports claiming he has contracted the COVID-19 virus and is now in isolation where he is receiving treatment.

    There were speculations that Mr. Mohammed might have contracted the virus after Garba Shehu confirmed he had tested positive for the virus.

    However, in a statement released by his Special Assistant to the President (Media) Office of the Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi, the minister stressed that he does not have COVID-19 and is neither in isolation nor receiving treatment anywhere.

    “The attention of Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Mohammed, has been drawn to a report making the rounds that he has contracted the COVID-19 virus and that he is now in isolation, where he is receiving treatment.

    “For the record, the Minister does not have COVID-19, hence he is neither in isolation nor receiving treatment anywhere.

    “That report, which was first published by an online newspaper and then latched on to by some mainstream lapdog media, once again highlights the uphill task we face in our campaign to stamp out fake news and misinformation.

    The Minister was at the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, an extraordinary FEC meeting on Thursday and also witnessed the swearing-in of the Minister of State for Works and Housing on Friday. All these events took place at the Villa, where the correspondents of many media organisations are deployed. In fact, the Minister coordinated the post-FEC press briefing on Wednesday and Thursday. Could he have done this from the imaginary isolation centre where he was consigned by a mischievous reporter?

    As a member of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, the Minister has the added responsibility of leading by example, hence would not have hesitated to publicly announce his COVID-19 status if indeed he has contracted the virus. After all, he is not only fully vaccinated, he has also taken the booster shot, a situation that offers him different layers of protection even if he contracts the virus. For those who contract the virus, they deserve our empathy and prayers, not stigmatization.”

  • Saying Buhari has nothing more to offer is untrue, dirty politicking — Lai Mohammed to Obasanjo

    Saying Buhari has nothing more to offer is untrue, dirty politicking — Lai Mohammed to Obasanjo

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday, reacted to a remark by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that President Muhammadu Buhari has nothing more to offer in tackling banditry, kidnapping, and general insecurity in the country.

    Mohammed said the remark that Buhari can’t tackle insecurity in Nigeria is fallacious and untrue.

    Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the minister stressed that Buhari is doing a lot to keep Nigerians safe.

    He pointed out that the president is equipping the military to effectively tackle insecurity in the country.

    “Gentlemen, President Buhari has done so much, under very difficult economic and social conditions, to tackle insecurity in our country. Not only has he done so much. President Buhari continues to do much more to keep Nigerians safe. To say he has nothing more to offer is untrue, fallacious and smacks of dirty politicking.

    “By boosting the number and capacity of our fighting forces, Mr President is putting them in good stead to tackle insecurity not just during the life of his Administration but long after he would have left office. President Buhari is leaving a legacy of security, infrastructural development, economic prosperity and social cohesion for Nigeria. This may not seem obvious today, amidst daunting challenges, but posterity will be kind to this President.

    “Yes, banditry and kidnapping have added to the state of insecurity, President Buhari has also continued to provide quality leadership in order to ensure that our security agencies decisively tackle the cankerworm of insecurity of any hue,” Lai Mohammed said.

    “No administration in Nigeria’s recent history has provided the security agencies with the hardware needed to tackle insecurity as that of President Buhari, in addition to raising the morale of our security men and women. Only last week, Mr President commissioned an armada of naval boats and ships in the latest effort to enhance our nation’s maritime security. The army, the air force and the police, among others, have also been receiving modern hardware to strengthen their arsenal.”

  • Gbajabiamila eulogises Lai Mohammed at 70

    Gbajabiamila eulogises Lai Mohammed at 70

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has eulogised the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on his 70th birthday.

    Gbajabiamila said Lai has distinguished himself as a patriotic Nigerian whose services to his fatherland are laudable.

    The Speaker described Lai as a dependable and diligent politician, who helped in making the ruling APC become what it is today, especially when he served as the National Publicity Secretary of the party as well as the spokesman of the defunct ACN, one of the legacy parties that formed the current ruling party.

    As a core progressive, the Speaker said, Lai made sacrifices for the growth and development of progressive politics in Nigeria and has become a role model.

    Gbajabiamila said at 70, Lai has paid his dues to the Nigerian project and should be commended for his efforts.

    The Speaker wished the minister more fruitful years in good health.

  • Omicron variant: UK Red Listing Nigeria Is Unjust, Discriminatory – Lai Mohammed

    Omicron variant: UK Red Listing Nigeria Is Unjust, Discriminatory – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has condemned the red listing of Nigeria by the UK government over the two cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19.

    Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, Mr Mohammed described the decision as unjust and discriminatory.

    The minister has, however, called on the UK government to rescind their decision immediately.

    Also discussed at the summit is the way forward as regards an upscale of the current responses to the pandemic including ongoing mass vaccination, surveillance and screening at the various points of entry.

    Lai Mohammed’s comments are the latest reactions to the red listing which has continued to stir debates in Nigeria and across the world.

    Earlier, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, expressed disappointment over the United Kingdom government’s placement of Nigeria on its red list following the detection of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

    “We were not very happy when six countries in Sub-Saharan Africa were placed on a red list and the WHO also advised against putting each other on the red list,” the minister said on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, less than one day after the UK announced the move.

    “From what we know about the COVID-19, there are many ways to manage it, and besides, not much is still known about the Omicron variant. We know, for example, that there have been no fatalities.

    “There have also been no reports of very severe illness. Actually, the rationale for being so hasty in putting countries on the red list is not something that is very helpful.”

    According to the minister, the move was ill-advised. He further noted that it would have multiple impacts on commerce, and disrupt activities during the Christmas and New Year festivities.

  • FG Rejects #EndSARS Panel Report, Reveals Only Reason to Change Stand

    FG Rejects #EndSARS Panel Report, Reveals Only Reason to Change Stand

    The Federal Government has rejected the report of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution on Lekki Toll Gate Shooting which had indicted the Nigerian Police and the military.

    Recall that the panel which was inaugurated in October 2020, had last week, submitted its findings to the Lagos State Government, stating in the leaked report that at least nine persons were killed during the EndSARS protest at Lekki.

    Despite the report, the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed on Tuesday, during a press conference, insisted that it was recycled fake news.

    Lai Mohammed stated that for the Federal Government to change its stand on the report, there must be more investigations.

    According to the Minister, the report which is currently in circulation was calculated to embarrass President Muhammadu Buhari’s government and its agencies “without foolproof evidence”.

    He said, “there is absolutely nothing in the report that is circulating to make us change our stand that there was no massacre at Lekki on Oct. 20th, 2020. For us to change our stand, a well-investigated report of the incident that meets all required standards and will withstand every scrutiny must be produced and presented to the public.

    “The report in circulation does not meet those requirements. We also appeal to the families of those allegedly killed in Lekki to speak out.

    “It’s untenable to say that some families did not come out because they are afraid. Any parent who is afraid to testify about the death of his or her child is not worth being called a parent.

    “We reject the notion that our soldiers and policemen massacred innocent Nigerians at Lekki on Oct. 20th, 2020. That conclusion is not supported by the weight of available evidence. Indictment for murder is a very serious issue that cannot be done on the basis of allegations and corroborations, as the panel did. Such allegations must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt”.

  • Even goats have owners who would Look for them, says Lai on #EndSARS Victims

    Even goats have owners who would Look for them, says Lai on #EndSARS Victims

    Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, has demanded the identities of family members of victims named in the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS-Related Abuses and Other Matters’ leaked report.

    Speaking during a press conference held in Abuja on Tuesday, the minister faulted the “cowardly leak of the judicial panel’s report”, claiming it was poorly put together, and unable to prove beyond doubt that there was a massacre at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020.

    He said the panel presented three names without surnames, failed to recommend compensation for “innocent business owners” who suffered losses, as well as officers in the police and army who also lost their lives during the protests.

    Slamming CNN, Mohammed said it failed to do “due diligence” in its report as it published the details of the leaked report without verifying or questioning it.

    In a bid to reiterate his stance on what he describes as a “phantom massacre”, Mohammed said: “Even goats have owners who would look for them if they do not return home, not to talk of human beings. Where are the family members of those reportedly killed at Lekki Toll Gate?”

    He demanded the identities of the family members of the victims, and identity of those killed, despite the names already published in some media platforms

  • BREAKING: Lagos EndSARS report not reliable – Lai Mohammed

    BREAKING: Lagos EndSARS report not reliable – Lai Mohammed

    The Federal Government has described the report by the Lagos State judicial panel on the shooting at the Lekki toll gate as a triumph of fake news.

    The panel which was inaugurated to look into complaints of alleged human rights abuses by the police and Lekki toll gate shooting indicted the Nigerian Army in its report.

    However, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, in a press conference in Abuja, dismissed the report saying it cannot change the government’s mind that there was a massacre, adding that the report is intimidation of a silent majority by a ‘vociferous lynch mob’.

    The minister described the report by the Lagos judicial panel as ‘Tales by moonlight’ riddled with so many errors, inconsistencies, discrepancies, speculations, innuendos, omissions, and conclusions that are not supported by evidence

    Part of the statement read: “There’s absolutely nothing in the report that is circulating to make us change our minds that there was a massacre in Lekki on October 20, 2020.

    “Without mincing words, let me say that never in the history of any Judicial Panel in this country has its report been riddled with so many errors, inconsistencies, discrepancies, speculations, innuendos, omissions, and conclusions that are not supported by evidence. What is circulating in public space is simply a rehash of the unverified fake news that has been playing on social media since the incident of October.

    “It is simply incredible that a Judicial Panel set up to investigate an incident has submitted a report laden with allegations, the same allegations it was set up to investigate in the first instance. Instead of sitting for all of one year, the panel could have just compiled social media ‘tales by the moonlight’ on the incident and submitted, saving taxpayers’ funds and everyone’s time. That report is nothing but the triumph of fake news and the intimidation of a silent majority by a vociferous lynch mob.”

    Lai Mohammed noted that the report of the panel in circulation cannot be relied upon because its authenticity is in doubt, adding that the Lagos State Government, being the convening authority, is yet to release any official report to the public.

    “The cowardly leakage of an unsigned report to the public is not enough. Assuming the report in circulation bears any iota of genuineness, it is basic knowledge that the report of such a panel is of no force until the convening authority issues a White Paper and Gazette on it. It is therefore too premature for any
    person or entity to seek to castigate the Federal Government and its agencies or officials based on such an unofficial and invalidated report,” he said.

  • Nigerian Media Undermining its Watchdog Role – Lai Mohammed

    Nigerian Media Undermining its Watchdog Role – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says the Nigerian media is undermining its watchdog role by engaging in some activities preventing it from holding power to account.

    The Minister stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at an interactive session of the 27th Nigerian Economic Summit with the topic, “The Fourth Estate – Holding Power Accountable’’.

    “Today, it is not uncommon to have media organizations hold annual award ceremonies. In most cases, their awardees are top officials of the same government they are supposed to hold accountable.

    “Such awards include Governor or Governors of the Year; Minister or Ministers of the Year; Politician or Politicians of the Year. Let’s even forget the fact that the criteria for giving such awards are dubious, at best.

    “Let’s forget that some of these awardees support the awarding organizations in one form or the other, especially during the awards.

    “To what extent can such media organizations hold their awardees, most of them top officials of government at all levels, accountable?

    “Is this not antithetical to the watchdog role prescribed for the press in the Constitution?’’.

    The Minister also identified the engagement of partisan media men to anchor sensitive programmes as another factor preventing the fourth estate to hold power to account.

    “For example, there is a national television station here in this country that has, as one of its anchors, a partisan, a known opposition party man.

    “Yes, the said anchor is also a journalist. But what kind of objectivity can we expect from such an Anchor? No matter how professional he seeks to be, his partisanship will always be a blur.

    “Can such Anchor or his medium be trusted to objectively hold power accountable?’’ he queried.