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FG is addressing job creation for youths- Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that the Buhari-led administration will continue to address the issue of job creation for the youths.

Mohammed said this on Sunday, November 8, while speaking with newsmen on the sideline of the meeting of governors, ministers, and traditional rulers of South-West states following the EndSARS protest mayhem.

“It is not as if the government has not been addressing the issue of unemployment. The newly launched funds by the government were actually aimed at creating job opportunities. What the government has done so far is to provide platforms where businesses can thrive” Lai Mohammed said

Mohammed said that the purpose of the South-West meeting was to allow governors and other political leaders in the South-West to interact.

Mohammed said this on Sunday, November 8, while speaking with newsmen on the sideline of the meeting of governors, ministers, and traditional rulers of South-West states following the EndSARS protest mayhem.

“It is not as if the government has not been addressing the issue of unemployment. The newly launched funds by the government were actually aimed at creating job opportunities. What the government has done so far is to provide platforms where businesses can thrive” Lai Mohammed said

Mohammed said that the purpose of the South-West meeting was to allow governors and other political leaders in the South-West to interact.

November 9, 2020
BREAKING: Senate tackles Lai Mohammed over N250m Controversial Constituency Project

The Senate on Tuesday tackled the Minister of information, Lai Mohammed, over a controversial project fully funded by the Ministry of Finance for execution by his Ministry in the 2020 fiscal year.

The project was tagged ERPG 10145116, and was listed as ‘completion of NTA Gashua sub-station ongoing’.

The project had its allocation of N250m fully released to the Ministry.

The Minister led other top officials of his Ministry to the Senate on Tuesday o defend their 2021 budget estimates.

Chairman, Senate Committee on information, Abdullahi Sankara, maintained that the Minister has a lot of explanations to make over the project.

He said that it was 100 per cent release of funds without any work commensurate to the full releases done on sight.

The controversy over the project started when the Minister explained that the project was sponsored by a lawmaker as a constituency project and inserted the same into his Ministry’s 2020 budget.

Senators present at the panel took exception to Mohammed’s explanation.

The lawmakers took turns to query the Minister over the project, insisting that it was not a constituency project.

Details later…

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BREAKING: Gambari, Lai Mohammed, others in Crucial meeting with Northern Governors, traditional rulers in Kaduna

#EndSARS: We must regulate social media before it destroys us – Lai Mohammed

No going back on Water Resources bill – Lai Mohammed

November 3, 2020
BREAKING: Gambari, Lai Mohammed, others in Crucial meeting with Northern Governors, traditional rulers in Kaduna

By Ujah Simon, Kaduna

President Muhmamadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Minister of FCT, Alhaji Mohammad Musa Bello are in a crucial meeting with Governors and Traditional rulers of the northern region.
The meeting currently in progress on Monday is expected to deliberate on various issues especially as it affects peace, security and other developmental issues
Senate President Ahmad Lawal, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu Abubakar are also in attendance in the meeting holding at sir kashim Ibrahm governoment house kaduna.
The meeting commenced behind closed doors with the Governors of Gombe, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger and the Deputy governors of Katsina, Kogi among other deputies were also in attendance.
Chairman Council of Chiefs of each state of the Northern region were also at the meeting, according to statement issued in kaduna and signed by Aminu Dalhatu/Terfa Awuhe.
“Some members of the Senate and House of representatives are also present.
Meanwhile the inspector general of police is expected to brief the meeting on effort to contain the current security challenges and issues arising from the #EndSARS protest in the north and the country in general.

November 2, 2020
#EndSARS: We must regulate social media before it destroys us – Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has once again called for the regulation of social media in Nigeria. According to him, Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder if the issue of fake news shared on social media is not urgently addressed.

Lai Mohammed said this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics, and Values to defend the 2021 budget proposed by his ministry.

While responding to questions from members of the committee, Lai Mohammed said that the next war to be fought in the country and across the world might be fought through social media, making reference to the ongoing #EndSARS protests.

According to Mohammed, the biggest challenge facing the country was the issue of fake news and misinformation, adding that the government identified this since 2017 and decided to launch a national campaign against fake news. He explained that the government was not seeking to shut down the social media space in the country because “the social media has come to stay”, but to have a social media policy that regulates the social media and check fake news and misinformation.

“The biggest challenge facing Nigeria today is fake news and misinformation. Based on that, we dedicated an entire National Council on Information’s meeting to that issue, after which we launched a national campaign against fake news in July 2018.
We said, then, that the next war will be fought without a shot being fired, but with the use of fake news. We didn’t stop there. We went on a tour of all media houses to solicit their support in the fight against fake news. We launched the campaign to regulate social media, which was bitterly contested by the stakeholders. We kept saying that if we don’t regulate social media, it will destroy us. Social media and fake news will not destroy Nigeria.
The recent #EndSARS war was fought on social media. They mobilised using the social media. The war today revolves around two things. Smartphone and data and these young men don’t even watch television or listen to radio or read newspapers. You will be shocked that when you start arguing with your children, they will be quoting the social media. So, we need a social media policy in Nigeria and we need to empower the various agencies and we need technology to be able to regulate the social media.”

Members of the committee, however, disagreed with the Minister.

A member, Emmanuel Oghene, warned against any attempt to shut down the social media in the country, saying the action will be counter-productive and would make the youths to believe that there is an attempt to truncate democracy in the country. He said the government should not only focus on the negative effect of social media.

“Talking about the recent looting of COVID-19 items, in some places they will be looting, but nobody will know. The government will not know and the police will not know. But because of social media, people will be posting as it is happening and the government will be able to go there and save lives.
There was a time when some boys were digging the road and because of social media, this information came out and the situation was arrested. If there are no social media, that will not happen.
I want to appeal that this desire to shot down the social media, we should not overdo it because it will harm us. China is not a good example because it is a communist country. Nigeria has always been free, we are a Democratic country.
Let us look at other democracies and see what they have done with their social media. This technology is already here. It is not going to go away. We should have enough laws in our law books to deal with social media. If people post things that are not correct, they can be taken to court. If the laws are not enough, bring a bill and the National Assembly will pass it into law. If you shut down the social media, democracy will be greatly hampered.”he said

October 28, 2020
No going back on Water Resources bill – Lai Mohammed

Minister of Culture and Tourism, Lai Mohammed has stated that the federal government will continue pushing for the passage of the water resources bill into law.

Firing back at critics who accused the federal government of seeking the control of water, usage and its resources, Lai Mohammed alleged the water resources bill critics are “anti-people” and also being mischevious.

The Minister insisted that the bill is a consolidation of four existing laws aimed at the efficient management of water resources in the country.

He said;

“Gentlemen, there is nothing new about the National Water Resources Bill. This is because it is an amalgamation of Water Resources Laws that have been in existence for a long time.
“These are; Water Resources Act, Cap W2 LFN 2004, River Basin Development Authority Act, Cap R9 LFN 2004, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency(Establishment) Act, Cap
N1100A, LFN 2004; National Water Resources Institute Act, Cap N83 LFN 2004
“So, why are the laws being repackaged as the National Water Resources Bill 2020? The answer is that they are being re-enacted with necessary modifications to bring them in line with current global trends as well as best practices in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).
“The overall objective of this amalgamation is the efficient management of the water resources sector for the economic development of Nigeria and the wellbeing of its citizens.
“Contrary to what is being perpetuated, water resources in a state that do not go beyond the particular state are not regulated by this bill.
“You can now see that many of those condemning the National Water Resources Bill 2020 either have not read it or do not understand its provisions. Also, we cannot rule out deliberate mischief by some of those who have been portraying the Bill as a new source of conflict.
“We are therefore using this opportunity to appeal to Nigerians to avail themselves of the provisions of the bill to avoid being misled by those who have chosen to politicise it.
“We also want to state that the bill is for the good of the nation, and has no hidden agenda whatsoever.”

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September 23, 2020
No going back on Water Resources Bill – Lai Mohammed

The Federal Government has declared it will go ahead with the Water Resources Bill.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed on Tuesday, said the bill was not designed to cause water wars in the country.

He said critics of the bill have either not read it or might be mischievous.

Mohammed made the clarifications at a joint briefing with the Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu in Abuja.

He said, “There is nothing new about the National Water Resources Bill. This is because it is an amalgamation of Water Resources Laws that have been in existence for a long time.

These are:

– Water Resources Act, Cap W2 LFN 2004

– The River Basin Development Authority Act, Cap R9 LFN 2004

– The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (Establishment) Act, Cap N1100A, LFN 2004

– National Water Resources Institute Act, Cap N83 LFN 2004

“So, why are the laws being re-packaged as the National Water Resources Bill 2020?

“The answer is that they are being re-enacted with necessary modifications to bring them in line with current global trends as well as best practices in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

“The overall objective of this amalgamation is the efficient management of the Water Resources Sector for the economic development of Nigeria and the well-being of its citizens.

“The Bill provides for professional and efficient management of all surface and ground water for the use of the people (i.e. for domestic and non-domestic use, irrigation, agricultural purposes, generation of hydro-electric energy, navigation, fisheries and recreation).

“The Bill will ensure that the nation’s water resources are protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled in a sustainable manner for the benefit of all persons.

“Critics contend that the Bill is aimed at taking the resources of a certain part of the country for the use of herders. In other words, the Federal Government is seeking to implement RUGA by subterfuge.

“We also want to state that the Bill is for the good of the nation, and has no hidden agenda whatsoever.”

Adamu said the bill was sent to all the states for concurrence without any object.

He said the bill predated the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

”This was never a Buhari bill, it is a bill for Nigeria. It started 2008 long before the President thought of winning election.”

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September 22, 2020
PDP Reps sue Mohammed, AGF, NBC over broadcasting code

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives has dragged the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) before the Federal High Court in Abuja to invalidate the controversial 6th broadcasting code.

A copy of the originating summon sighted by The Nation in Abuja joins Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami as defendant in the suit.

Plaintiffs in the suit are caucus leader Kingsley Chinda; his Deputy Chukwuma Onyema; Caucus Deputy Whip Ajibola Muraina; Mark Gbillah; Tyough Robert; Bulus Solomon; Rimamnde Shawulu Kwewum; Yusuf Ayo Tajudeen and Onyeman Chukwuma.

The Chinda- led PDP caucus is backed by the Uche Secondus- led national leadership of the PDP but not recognised by the leadership of the House.

It claimed to have instituted the case on behalf of “themselves, individually and as representatives of the PDP caucus in the House of Representatives”.

In the suit filed on their behalf by Barrister Segun Fiki and Barrister Johnmary Chukwuasi Jideobi, the lawmakers want the court to determine whether by the provisions of Section 36 (12) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Amended 6th Nigerian Broadcasting Code enacted/issued by the 1st Defendant which created the purported offences of “hate speech” and “fake news” and correspondingly purported to have imposed penalties is not unconstitutional, null and void.

They are also asking the court to determine whether or not, having regard to the extant provisions of Sections 6 and 23 of the National Broadcasting Commission Act Cap. N11 LFN 2004, the 1st Defendant has the statutory power to issue Broadcasting Code and whether the 6th Nigerian Broadcasting Code purportedly issued is not a nullity and therefore void?

They are also asking the court to determine “whether, having regard to the extant provisions of Sections 4 (1), (2), (3) & (4), 47 & 58(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Order 14 of the Standing Rules of the House of Representatives (Procedure on Subsidiary Legislation), the 1st and 2nd Defendants have the power or vires to enact, issue and give effect to or enforce the Amended 6th Nigerian Broadcasting Code without prior ratification by the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, and if not, whether the 1st Defendant’s enactment/issuance and application of the said Amended 6th Nigerian Broadcasting Code is not an usurpation of the legislative powers expressly conferred on the legislature by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)?

They prayed the court to declare the Amended 6th Nigerian Broadcasting Code unconstitutional, null and void especially since the said offences and penalties set out in the code have not been defined and/or prescribed in any written law by the National Assembly of Nigeria?

They are also asking the court to declare that the 2nd Defendant (NBC) is the sole authority statutorily empowered in Nigeria to enact and/or issue Broadcasting Codes throughout the Federation, to the exclusion of the 1st Defendant and that the 1st Defendant’s enactment of the 6th Amended Nigerian Broadcasting Code is ultra vires, unlawful, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

They also want an order of the court perpetually restraining the 1st Defendant from further enacting, issuing or enforcing any National Broadcasting Code.

The suit, which has not been assigned to any court, is supported by a 15- paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Francis U. Obalim and a written address dated 9th September, 2020.

September 11, 2020
FG Recovers N800bn Looted Funds, Convicts 1,400 – Lai Mohammed

The Federal Government says it has recovered looted funds in excess of N800 billion with over 1,400 convictions secured.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this on Tuesday at a press conference in the nation’s capital, Abuja.

He said the current government’s fight against corruption is as strong as ever, and that the government has records to back up the claims.

Mohammed added that the government also forfeited several properties suspected to have been acquired through corrupt means.

Details later.

July 28, 2020
Lai Mohammed hands over National Theatre to CBN

The Minister for Culture and Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has on Sunday in Lagos, handed over the National Theater to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bankers committee for restoration and upgrade.

He said at the event that the National Theater, despite the arrangement, still remained a national heritage.

According to the Minister, the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture would continue to hold the keys to the iconic national heritage in spite of the Public-Private Partnership arrangement between FG and the Bankers Committee.

”Please permit me to make clarifications that this iconic National Theater remains a national heritage and will not be ceded to any person or group as some naysayers are insinuating, it remains our national heritage.

”The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture will continue to hold the keys to the National Theater on behalf of all Nigerians.

”What we are here to do is to hand over the National Theater for restoration and upgrade and also the 134 hectares of fallow land within the premises to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bankers committee for development,” he said.

”Another good news is that this project will not lead to any single job loss rather, it will create more, over 6,000 jobs will be created during the construction phase while the completed project could generate additional 600 permanent jobs and 2000 to 3,000 jobs, this is a good one,” he said, adding that the project which had been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari would be a win-win arrangement for everyone involved.

”The place had been left for over four decades without any form of renovation. Government has no money to restore the complex as you know this is the hub of the creative industry in Nigeria.

The Minister for Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare, said that it was a privilege for him to be at the event which would see revamping the creative and entertainment center.

He said many would wonder why the Minister for Youths was at the event forgetting that the youth would benefit more from the project as they are the most active part of the creative industry.

“The potential of the new National Theater is massive job creation, talent discovery for our youths and the coming generation being an information and technology hub.

July 13, 2020
FG grants N7.8bn debt forgiveness for radio, TV stations

As part of palliative measures against coronavirus, the Federal Government has offered 60 per cent debt forgiveness to defaulting radio and TV stations.

The affected stations are indebted to the Federal Government to the tune of N7.8billion.

All the stations have a three-month timeline to enjoy the debt reprieve.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed made the announcement at a briefing in Abuja in company of the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba.

Lai Mohammed said: “According to the National Commission (NBC), many Nigerian radio and television stations remain indebted to the Federal Government to the tune of N7.8billion Naira in total.

” Also, many of the stations are faced with the reality that their licenses will not be renewed, in view of their indebtedness.

” Against this background, the management of the NBC has therefore recommended, and the Federal Government has accepted, the following measures to revamp the Broadcast Industry and to help reposition it for the challenges of business, post-Covid-19:-

” a) – 60 percent debt forgiveness for all debtor broadcast stations in the country.
” b)◦ The criterion for enjoying the debt forgiveness is for debtorstations to pay 40 percent of their existing debt within the next three months
“c) -Any station that is unable to pay the balance of 40 percent indebtedness within the 3 months window shall forfeit the opportunity to enjoy the stated debt forgiveness.”

On palliatives for the print media, the Minister said “we are already discussing with the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN)

July 6, 2020