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Tag: Lai Mohammed

  • #EndSARS: One year after, no evidence of killing at Lekki tollgate – Lai Mohammed

    #EndSARS: One year after, no evidence of killing at Lekki tollgate – Lai Mohammed

    The Federal Government has said that one year after a massacre was alleged to have occurred at the Lekki toll gate on October 20, no evidence has been provided to back the claim.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made this known during a press conference on the first anniversary of EndSARS on Wednesday, October 20.

    Lai at the press conference said the Federal government is yet to receive any evidence for the alleged killing.

    “One year later, and despite ample opportunities for the families of those allegedly killed and those alleging a massacre to present evidence, there has been none: No bodies, no families, no convincing evidence, nothing. Where are the families of those who were reportedly killed at the toll gate? Did they show up at the Judicial Panel of Inquiry? If not, why?

    Recall, gentlemen, that after bandying different figures, Amnesty International finally settled at about 12 people killed. On its part, CNN went from 38 people killed to two to just one, after a supposed global exclusive even when the network had no reporter on ground at the Lekki Toll Gate on Oct. 20th 2020.” he said

    Lai Mohammed also insisted that men of the Nigerian Army did not shoot at the protesters who gathered at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020.

    “On Oct. 20th (2020), members of the security forces enforced curfew by FIRING SHOTS INTO THE AIR (emphasis mine) to disperse protesters, who had gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos to protest abusive practices by the Nigeria Police Force Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)

    Accurate information on fatalities resulting from the shooting was not available at year’s end. Amnesty International reported 10 persons died during the event, but the government disputed Amnesty’s Report, and NO OTHER ORGANIZATION WAS ABLE TO VERIFY THE CLAIM (emphasis mine).”

    With the preponderance of evidence against any massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20th 2020, we are once again reiterating what we said one year ago, that:

    The military did not shoot at protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20th 2020, and there was no massacre at the toll gate. The only ‘massacre’ recorded was in the social media, hence there were neither bodies nor blood.”he said

    The Minister stated that 11 out of 28 States that raised panels on last year’s #ENDSARS protest have submitted reports to the National Economic Council (NEC) and that all those indicted by the various judicial commissions will face trial.

    ”At its meeting on 15 October 2021, the NEC received an update on the Reports of Judicial Panels of Inquiry into Allegations of Human Rights Violations against Members of Nigeria Police Force and other Security Agencies.

    Note that 28 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – under the auspices of the National Human Rights Commission – had set up Judicial Panels/Commissions of Inquiry to investigate allegations of violations of human rights levied against members of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, especially members of the disbanded SARS.
    Out of the 28 States, 11 States (Abia, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, and Rivers) have submitted their final reports to Council. Governors of other States have also indicated that their reports would be submitted soon.

    Following deliberations on the recommendations of the panels, NEC agreed/resolved as follows:

    Each State, in collaboration with the Federal Government, shall establish modalities for the settlement of all monetary compensations awarded by the Panels.

    Already, as resolved by NEC, a number of States have set up Victims Compensation Funds, from which several victims have already received payments of sums awarded to them by the panels.

    The Council directed State Governors to immediately forward copies of final reports of the panels to their Attorneys-General for prompt arraignment and prosecution of all indicted persons.

    Where incidents in the reports relate to matters of discipline, in addition to prosecution, NEC urged the Nigeria Police Force to take disciplinary action on the affected officers in line with the provisions of the Police Act 2020.”he said

  • FG Issues Security Warning Ahead of 61st Independence Anniversary

    FG Issues Security Warning Ahead of 61st Independence Anniversary

    The federal government has alerted the general public to heightened security activities, preparatory to the events marking the country’s 61st Independence anniversary.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, issued the security alert in a statement in Abuja yesterday.

    He, however, urged residents of the Federal Capital Territory and its environs not to panic and to go about their legitimate activities.

    ”Residents are enjoined to report suspicious persons and movements to the security agencies through the following numbers: 09-6305396, 08031230631, 08032003557 and 122,” the minister said.

    The alert was issued on the same day the federal government unveiled programme of activities lined up to mark the 61st Independence anniversary celebration.

    At a press conference held yesterday at the Radio House, Garki, Abuja, Mohammed said the activities were dual, beginning with last year’s 60th year-long Diamond Jubilee Independence anniversary celebration and that this would come to a close on September 30, 2021, but that the activities had been arranged to dovetail into that of the 61st Independence anniversary on October 1.

    The activities include a Special Interdenominational Church Service billed to hold at the National Christian Centre on September 26, to be followed by a Special Award Ceremony/ Discover Nigeria on September 30.

    The Independence Anniversary Parade holds at the Eagle Square on October 1.
    The events will climax with a Special Jummat Service at the National Mosque also on October 1.

  • Foreign Debts Not For Recurrent Expenditure – Lai Mohammed

    Foreign Debts Not For Recurrent Expenditure – Lai Mohammed

    The Federal Government has clarified that the debts being taken are not for funding recurrent expenditures but for implementing capital projects which previous administrations failed to carry out.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed stated this in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital on Thursday during a one-day town hall meeting on the power situation in the state.

    The minister’s explanation is coming on the heels of President Muhammadu Buhari’s plea at the UNGA meeting, for “rich nations” and international financial institutions for outright debt cancellation for countries facing the most severe challenges in the wake of the COVID-19”.

    The president’s most recent request for an external loan was sent to the Senate on September 14.

    In his letter transmitted to the Senate, he sought the approval of the lawmakers to borrow $4 billion and €710 million loans from bilateral and multilateral organisations to fund the deficit in the 2021 budget.

    The National Assembly had approved one earlier in July where the President requested to borrow $8.3 billion and €490 million loans contained in the initial 2018-2020 borrowing plan.

    Further defending the borrowings, Lai Mohammed said that the Federal Government has implemented a lot of projects in different parts of the country which, according to him, past administrations had used as a conduit pipe to squander public funds.

    The minister argued that infrastructure is the engine of economic growth, hence, the premium it places on building and reconstruction.

    “Naysayers have recently ramped up their criticism of the Buhari administration from borrowing. These critics are very insincere; we do not borrow for recurrent expenditure neither do we borrow to pay salaries. We are borrowing to build world-class infrastructures that will benefit generations of Nigerians and we have a lot to show from the loans we have taken.” Mohammed stated.

    According to him, the Federal Government has over 13,000 kilometers of federal roads under repair, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

    “There’s a road project in every state today. Today we have started the countdown to when the second Niger bridge which successive administrations have built only on paper will be completed.”

    “It is an irony that those who are criticizing us today performed very badly in terms of modernizing our infrastructure even when they served at a time when our earnings were multiples of what we get today. Have they embarked on the kind of infrastructure development we are currently engaged in perhaps there would have been no reason for us to borrow as much as we are doing today.

    “For example, in their time they claimed to have spent billions of naira in building infrastructure but as one can see their infrastructure projects are only on the pages of newspapers. Today we are still saddled with looking for resources to build the same infrastructure for which they claimed to have allocated huge resources. We’ll however not be deterred by their antics, we’ll continue to ignore those who have decided to play politics with everything,” Mohammed added.

  • We’ll Lift Twitter Suspension Soon – FG

    We’ll Lift Twitter Suspension Soon – FG

    The Federal Government has again pledged to restore Twitter services in the country, hundred days after the tech giant was banned in Nigeria.

    Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed,  disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing State House reporters after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja.

    He said that the government is working hard to restore Twitter’s operations in Nigeria.

    “Honestly, we have gone very far. I won’t be specific but we have gone very far,” the minister said.

    “Honestly, it is going to be very soon. Just take my words for that. Even Twitter itself gave a progress report on our talks with them.

    “If I want to quote them rightly, they said it has been quite productive and respectful. As to how soon is soon, if the operation has been successful for hundred days now, we are just talking about a few more days.

    “I can assure Nigerians that we are not unmindful of the anxiety and both parties are working very hard to put a closure on the matter.”

    Nigeria suspended Twitter operations on June 4 after the social media giant deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari for “violation of the company’s abusive behaviour policy”.

    A day after, the suspension was effected by telecommunications companies.

    The country joins nations like North Korea, China, and Iran in halting operations of the social media platform.

    In spite of the development, many in the country have devised means to sidestep the ban including the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

  • We’re Not Prosecuting Repentant BokoHaram in Line with Global Practices – Lai Mohammed

    We’re Not Prosecuting Repentant BokoHaram in Line with Global Practices – Lai Mohammed

    The federal government yesterday said the demand by some Nigerians for the prosecution of repentant Boko Haram fighters rather than granting them amnesty, was against global best practices, and that it would not accept such call.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated this yesterday in Washington, U.S.A., during his engagement with global media outlets, think-tanks and influencers.

    The minister said: “I personally spoke to the military authority before I left Nigeria and they said what they were doing was what the global practice dictates about soldiers that surrendered; that they should be treated as prisoners of war.

    “You cannot just shoot them because there are international conventions that give rights also to prisoners of war. What the military is doing is that, when they surrender, they profile them to ensure that they are genuine and reintegrate them into the society,” he said.

    Mohammed also said government will not recruit the repentant Boko Haram fighters, who have been surrendering to the military, into the Nigerian Army as being rumoured in some quarters.

    The minister described the claim as “false and demoralising”, adding: “fifth columnists and naysayers to stop spewing negative and false narratives around Boko Haram members who are surrendering in droves in the North-East.”
    He said it was unfortunate and inconceivable that some Nigerians would be going about such fake news.

    No fewer than 1,000 Boko Haram fighters and their families had handed themselves over to Army units in recent weeks in the southern Borno towns of Konduga, Bama, and Mafa.

    The minister also berated those alleging that the surrendered insurgents were not actual Boko Haram fighters and that if they were, they should be shot rather than granted amnesty.

    Mohammed said rather than changing the narratives, President Muhammadu Buhari and the military should be respectfully commended for their resourcefulness and doggedness respectively, in the fight against insurgency.

    He said: “The fact that we are witnessing insurgents submitting in droves calls for commendation of our military for their doggedness.
    “We must not forget that two months ago, Nigerians were putting pressure on the President to recruit mercenaries to fight the war against terror because they said we were losing the war.

    “The President, however, remained focused and confident in his belief in the Nigerian military that they have what it takes to defeat the insurgents. We thank God that Mr. President today has been proven right.

    “We were able to achieve this, largely because of the leadership of Mr. President in providing the wherewithal continually to the military and ensuring that their fighting morale is sustained by way of welfare packages.”
    Mohammed also said that the situation in Afghanistan was not the same as in Nigeria because there was no time in Nigeria that the military had engaged repentant militants.

    For those yet to surrendered, the minister said the military would not rest on its oars but continue to pursue Boko Haram and ISWAP members until they could no longer be harmful to Nigerians.

    FG Getting Closer to an Agreement with Twitter

    In a related development, the federal government says Twitter has agreed to seven out of the 10 demands it made to lift the suspension on the social media platform in Nigeria.

    The Information Minister also disclosed this yesterday during his engagement with global media outlets, think-tanks and influencers.
    The government on June 4 announced the indefinite suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.

    The government had said the reason for the suspension was because of the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.

    “We believe that even the other three outstanding demands, are not really about whether they agreed or not but about timing and scheduling,” the minister said.
    He adds: “That is what gave me the confidence that we are getting nearer to an agreement. As recently as last week, we exchanged correspondence with Twitter, and when I left home a few days ago, we were expecting a reply from them.

    “It is left with Twitter to respond to grey areas that we asked them to look into. We are not inflexible in our negotiation with Twitter because we recognise both the positive and negative aspects of the social media.”

    The minister said, among the demands made to Twitter, was for the platform to register as a Nigerian company, pay taxes from revenue made from the country and ensure that harmful contents were regulated.
    He said the Twitter ban was effective in the country because less harmful contents had been seen on social media since then.

    According to him, other social media platforms have also been more conscious and alert to injurious contents likely to threaten national security.
    The minister added that from the talks with Twitter, when the platform resumes operations in the country, it would not be business as usual.

    ‘Terrorism Has No Boundary’

    At another forum in Germany yesterday with global media outlets, think tanks and influencers, the Minister of Information declared that terrorism had no boundary and that no part of the world is safe if it is allowed to thrive.

    He underscored the need for the developed world to see terrorism as a global threat, saying: “Terrorism is global and has no boundary. For the world to be saved, every corner of the world must be saved.”
    He adds: “We can see from the example of the US, where Taliban takes over Afghanistan, a pointer to how difficult it is to fight terrorism driven by ideology.

    “The western world should look into helping developing nations like Nigeria in developing their infrastructure.

    “This will help to create employment and quality livelihood that will make it difficult for an ideological group like Boko Haram to recruit the youths.”
    The minister called for the support of the US and other countries in Nigeria’s fight against the Boko Haram, adding that global support would go a long way in stamping out the menace.

  • Nigeria Is Not And Cannot Be A Failed State – Lai Mohammed

    Nigeria Is Not And Cannot Be A Failed State – Lai Mohammed

    Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed says Nigeria cannot be described as a failed state, insisting that the country is only witnessing insecurity in some parts. 

    The Minister, who argued that the country is winning the war against insecurity, noted that insurgents are surrendering to the increased onslaught from security agents.

    “I live in Nigeria, I work in Nigeria and I travel all around Nigeria and I can tell you Nigeria is not a failed state,” he told BBC’s Focus on Africa. 

    “I can tell you, yes we have challenges with banditry, we have challenges with separatist groups, it does not make this country, Nigeria, a failed state.

    “If what is happening in the last few weeks is anything to go by, we are winning this war.”

    Mr Lai, who asked Nigerians to appreciate the government’s fight against insecurity, noted that the nation’s security situation is a lot better than what the present government met when it assumed power.

    Recalling how the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, the minister explained that ideologies are hard to defeat, something he says the present administration has been able to surmount while fighting Boko Haram.

    According to him, before the present government, Boko Haram controlled a “swathe of land the size of Belgium” but have now been pushed “to a very small area”.

    “This is what people should appreciate about fighting terrorism. The good news is that insurgents today are surrendering in droves and we are going after them,” he added.

  • We won’t rest until Social Media is regulated – Lai Mohammed

    We won’t rest until Social Media is regulated – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said the Federal government will not rest until social media platforms are regulated.

    The minister said this in an interview with NAN in Washington while reacting to media reports that claimed he sneaked out of Nigeria to the US to meet with Twitter operators to resolve the ban on the micro-blogging site in Nigeria. Lai said fake news such as this reaffirms the need for social media to be regulated.

    Speaking during the interview, Mohammed said’;

    “Can a minister sneak out of Nigeria without people knowing? When you say I sneaked out of Nigeria, are you saying I went to board at a terminal where nobody is or I travelled to the Republic of Benin to fly out of the country?”

    I was at an international airport, where I presented myself openly and I was checked in at the counter like every other traveller of the airline. I boarded and passed through the checks by the immigration service and customs. We won?t rest until social media is regulated – Lai Mohammed

    How can you come and say I sneaked out of the country? You and I have been here, have I met with any Twitter official­?

    When you talk about fake news and its dangers, we need to take it seriously and I am happy that the entire world is now seeing what we saw more than two years ago. I can assure you that we will not rest until we regulate the social media. Otherwise, nobody will survive it.”

  • BREAKING: FG to lift Twitter suspension in a matter of days – Lai Mohammed

    BREAKING: FG to lift Twitter suspension in a matter of days – Lai Mohammed

    The Federal Government has hinted that the over two months ban on the social networking site, Twitter, in Nigeria will be lifted soon.

    This is as it said that it has reached agreement with Twitter in most areas of misunderstanding.

    Recall that on June 5, 2021, the FG had officially banned Twitter’s indefinitely, thereby restricting it from operating in Nigeria after the social media platform deleted tweets made by President Muhammadu Buhari warning the Indigenous People of Biafra that they “will be treated in the language they understand”.

    The FG had interpreted the deletion of Buhari’s tweets as discourteous and hinged upon “a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences”.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lal Mohammed, while fielding questions from the press at the State House after Wednesday’s FEC meeting updated Nigerians on the issue saying that progress has been made in resolving the stalemate following series of meetings.

    Mohammed explained details of the conditions given to Twitter, saying that most of them have been accepted.

    He said the areas still pending such as Twitter setting up an office, and having a Twitter staff of management cadre that will serve as the country representative, are still being discussed.

    The Minister also disclosed that on the issue of a Nigeria-based office, even though Twitter has agreed to the condition, it is however maintaining that the earliest it can establish that is 2022.

    He expressed confidence that everything will be ironed out with Twitter within “a matter days or weeks”, noting the anxiety that has been shown by Nigerians.

    He said the FG’s committee negotiating with Twitter will meet on the agreement soon to make recommendations.

    Details soon…

  • We Are Not Aware Of $875m Ammunition Deal With US – Lai Mohammed

    We Are Not Aware Of $875m Ammunition Deal With US – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed says the Federal Government is not aware of any $875 million ammunition deal with the US which is being purportedly obstructed by some lawmakers in the States.

    Mr. Mohammed stated this while speaking with newsmen on Friday in Abuja. According to him, there is no contract of such nature and sum between Nigeria and the US.

    He described as #Fakenews, the purported sale of the weapons and explained that apart from the 12 AH-I-Cobra attack helicopters of which Nigeria has taken delivery of six, the government is not aware of any contract as being speculated.

    The Minister said the received AH-1- Cobra Attack helicopters would be launched sometime in August, adding that the Federal Government is“quite satisfied with the progress and cooperation that we received from the government of the US on this issue”.

    Reports suggesting that influential U.S. lawmakers were obstructing a proposed sale of ammunition and attack helicopters to Nigeria over allegations of human rights abuses and anti-democratic actions of the present administration have been making the rounds.

    These reports suggest that the blocked proposed sale includes 12 AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters accompanied by defence systems, 28 helicopter engines produced by GE Aviation, and 14 military-grade aircraft navigation systems made by Honeywell.

    Lai Mohammed however stated that the reports are false, emphasizing that “the relationship between Nigeria and the US is smooth and waxing stronger”.

  • FG Has No Plan To Muzzle Media – Lai Mohammed

    FG Has No Plan To Muzzle Media – Lai Mohammed

    The Federal Government on Tuesday in Ilorin said it has no plan to gag the press even as it advanced reasons behinds it’s decision to ensure the regulation of the social media in the country.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the government’s position on the regulation was in furtherance of national interest which was in line with global best practices.

    Mohammed spoke at the opening of a 2-day 2021 edition of the Annual Roundtable on Cultural Orientation (ARTCO) by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO).

    According to the minister, no responsible government will allow enemies of Nigeria use media as a tool to destabilise the nation.

    He said the phenomenon of fake news and hate speeches which has dominated the social media space is detrimental to the nation’s peace, security and national cohesion.

    He therefore appealed to the media to ‘shun sensational reporting and eschew fake news’ to prevent or de-escalate conflicts.

    The minister reassured that President Muhammadu Buhari would continue to ensure enabling environment for a robust media practice exists in Nigeria.

    He said “Contrary to insinuation in some quarters, this government has no plans to muzzle the media. It appreciates the media as a strategic partner in our determination to foster the socio-economic and political development of our nation”.

    Speaking on the theme of the roundtable “Culture, Media and Nation Cohesion”, Mohammed said that the neglect of culture and the breakdown of
    cherished cultural values have contributed largely to the myriad challenges bedeviling our nation today.

    He said that urgent and concerted efforts are therefore required for cultural reconstruction and reawakening to achieve the much-desired socio political and economic progress.

    “The other dimension of the theme of this conference is the role of the media in fostering national cohesion. The media is an indispensable institution in modern and democratic societies. As the fourth estate of the realm and watchdog of society with constitutional backing, media has a pivotal role to play in the progress and well being of society”, he said.

    Also speaking, the Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Mr. Ado Mohammed Yahuza, said the 2021 theme for the programme was selected to reemphasize the significance of culture and the media to socio-political and economic development of the nation.

    “We are fully convinced that our present challenges as a nation can be surmounted through a culture rebirth programme with the media playing a leading role.

    “The replacement of our cherished cultural values of honesty, hard work, good neighbourliness, respect for elders, respect for constituted authority with negative tendency such as “get-rich-quick syndrome”, ethnic and religious bias have been the bane of our national cohesion and development efforts.

    “It is our belief that if the media emphasize and celebrate our cherished cultural values and the things that unite us instead of the things that divide us, national unity and cohesion would be easily achieved”, he noted.