Desist From Making Inflammatory Speeches – Lai Mohammed Tells Nigerians

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has admonished those beating drums of war through hate speeches and divisive statements to desist in the interest of the nation’s unity and safety.

The minister gave the advise on Saturday at the “Lai Mohammed 10th Annual Ramadan Lecture” held in his country home, Oro, Kwara.

Lai Mohammed expressed concerns over the rate of inflammatory statements capable of causing division and war in the country in recent times.

He urged Nigerians to disregard those who were engaged in hate speeches as well as their purveyors.

“In the last couple of months, we have witnessed the increase inflammatory and hate speeches.

“Hate speeches have been responsible for wars. Rwandan genocide where more than 800,000 people were killed was started by hate speeches.

“Like people say, wars are not really started by bullets, they are started by words of mouth.

“Nigeria is too big and God has a purpose for making us one and we shall remain united.

“There will be differences, but like the Yoruba says, “Ori bibe ko ni ogun ori fifo” (beheading is not antidote to headache).

“We have been living together peacefully and we will continue to live together, because we have a lot to gain by being united.

“If there is war today, none of us will escape whether you are young or old whether you are Yoruba, Igbo of Hausa ,” he said.

The Minister recounted a story he said Acting President Yemi Osinbajo narrated on the dire consequences of the Rwanda war on two judges from that country.

“The Acting President told us a story that in 1982, he was a young lecturer in the University of Lagos and two Supreme Court Judges came visiting from Rwanda.

“He said ten years later, in 1992, he went to work in Rwanda and on the street with a bowl in hand looking for food were the Supreme Court Judges that he saw in Lagos.

“This shows that when there is war, the young, the old, the rich and the poor, we are all victims,” he said.

The Minister stressed that Nigerians must work together, understand their differences and must never pray for war.

Mohammed thanked those who attended the lecture noting that their presence was key to its success.

He said the Ramadan lecture, the tenth in the series, was unique because it’s attendance cuts across religions and denomination.

The Minister explained that the presence of Christian faithfuls at the event was an indication that Nigerians, irrespective of their religious leaning, could work and live together.

The Special Guest of honour at the event, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun said he was impressed with the turn out of people in their diversity at the event.

The governor urged Muslim faithfuls to remain pious in the remaining days of Ramadan and pray for the unity of the country.

Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara commended the Minister for organising the annual lecture.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information, Mahmud Ajeigbe said it was a great feat for the minister to have sustained the Ramadan lecture for 10 years.

Earlier, the Guest Speaker, Sheikh Ibrahim Gidado from Lagos preached on piety especially during the Ramadan period.

He charged the gathering on the need for people to have the fear of God in all their dealings and to be compassionate and show love to the less privileged.

He also called for the support of Nigerians for the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as well as their prayers for the President’s quick recovery.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chief Imam of Oro, Mohammed Sanusi led other clerics at the event on prayers for the country, the President and his cabinet as well as the
minister and his members of families.

The lecture was attended by traditional rulers from Kwara, including Oloro of Oro, Oba Abdulrauf Oyelaran, Clerics, Muslim and Christian faithfuls, politicians, students and people from other walks of life. 

(NAN)


Hate Speeches Can Destroy A Nation – Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has appealed to traditional rulers to support the government in promoting peace and unity across the country.

This is coming amid rising cases of incendiary statements and hate speeches, which he warned were capable of tearing the nation apart.

The Minister, who made the remarks in Abuja on Friday when he received the Olowo of Owo, Oba Folagbade Olateru-Olagbegi III, on a courtesy visit to his office, said the phenomenon of fake news, disinformation and misinformation must also be checked to guard against any attempt to undermine the unity of the country.

“Hate speeches are being spewed out daily, with reckless abandon. Most people have forgotten how hate speeches helped to trigger genocide in Rwanda in 1994, killing about 800,000 people.

“When the hate speech phenomenon is added to the growing problem of fake news, disinformation and misinformation, we have a most incendiary mix that could undermine the unity, peace and security of any country.

“This is why I want to use the opportunity of this visit of His Royal Highness, the Olowo of Owo, Oba Folagbade Olateru-Olagbegi III, to appeal to our traditional institutions across the country to intervene urgently to douse the tension enveloping the land,” he said.

Mohammed said the traditional rulers have a huge role to play in keeping the country safe and keeping the people united, adding: ”They have always played this role, but we need them now more than ever.”

He also appealed to the media to always exercise a great deal of restraint in their reporting, so as not to aggravate the tension caused by the divisive tendencies, including hate speech.

“As I have always said, it is because we have a peaceful country that professionals, including journalists, can carry out their daily chores. It is therefore imperative for us all to be part of government’s efforts to make our country secure and peaceful and keep our people united”, he added.

He described Oba Olateru-Olagbegi III as an epitome of humility and simplicity, and promised to do everything within his power to bring to fruition the project to turn the Olowo’s Palace into a national monument, in appreciation of the historic contributions of the Olowo to the country’s development.

In his remarks, Oba Olateru-Olagbegi III said he was visiting the Federal Capital Territory for the first time under this administration, with a view to familiarizing himself with the leadership of the country, especially the Minister of Information and Culture, who is in charge of the nation’s cultural heritage.

By Wale Odunsi

Restructuring Nigeria Is Not Top On Buhari’s Agenda – FG

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that given what the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari inherited, restructuring could not have been its priority.

The Minister stated this on Thursday when he featured on “Focus Nigeria” current affairs Programme of African Independent Television (AIT), anchored by Gbenga Aruleba.

Mohammed explained that with the high level of corruption, economy downturn, insecurity, particularly with the activities of Boko Haram, which had taken over half of the North East, the government could not have contemplated restructuring.

He said the focus of the government which also formed the basis of its campaign were to fight corruption and insecurity and fix the economy.

The minister said two years after its inauguration, the administration had not failed but succeeded on the three campaign promises.

He noted that the division messages and hate speeches raging presently in the country were not new to government because government had envisaged it and had been sensitising Nigerians to its dangers.

The minister assured all Nigerians to go about their lawful businesses and disregard any threat from any quarters.

He said government would not be found wanting in the discharge of its primary responsibility of protecting lives and property of all Nigerians wherever they reside.

He added that government would deal decisively with anyone or group that disturb the peace of the nation and constitute threat to any one or group.

The minister said that contrary to perception in certain quarters, the government anti-corruption fight was not one sided or targeted at opposition.

He said that anywhere there was anti-corruption fight, corruption would fight back and the tensions being experienced in the country could be linked to it.

He said before the government took over corruption was so alarming that 55 persons stole N1.35 trillion in seven years.

Mohammed disclosed that N700 billion was appropriated and released to Ministry of Niger Delta only between 2009 and 2015 for road construction.

He said from record made available, N453 billion were paid to contractors, who did not do up eight per cent of the construction works given to them.

The minister said the record also showed that the contracts were over inflated to the level that a kilometre of road was awarded for between N300 million to N1.2 billion.

He said such was the level of corruption that the previous administration left N1.7 trillion debts owed to local contractors.

Mohammed said that beyond cleaning the mess left by the precious administration, the government had been spending massively on infrastructure particularly roads, railways and power.

He said the government in the last two years had constructed 369 kilometres of roads, empowered 542 local contractors and created 17,000 direct jobs and 50,000 indirect jobs.

On the attitude of the judiciary to the anti-corruption fight of government the minister said that the entire justice system of the country needed overhaul to ensure prompt and effective prosecution.

The minister solicited the support of every Nigerians, the judiciary and the lawyers and judges in particular for the success of anti-corruption fight.

On power, the minister said that the government did not know the enormity of the flaws in the privatisation process of the sector by the previous administration.

He said the process was so corruptly done that the so called investors did not have the capacity in term of finance and manpower.

The minister said the option would had been to cancel the entire privatisation process, but for the wrong signal such decision would sent to the global investment community about the country.

Mohammed said that despite the flaw, the government improved generation from 2,690 megawatts it inherited to 5,040 megawatts in February 2016.

He said the drop in generation was as a result of the pipelines destruction in Forcados, which government was fixing and the current power generation was 4000 megawatts.

He said the government had also signed 13 power generation agreements on solar which would contribute 10,000 megawatts to the national grid.

(NAN)