Minister scores Buhari high on treasury single account …Says no journalist in detention

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Minister scores Buhari high on treasury single account

.Says no journalist in detention

 By Udeme Clement & Joel ThankGod

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Chairman of Daily Trust Newspapers, Mallam Kabiru Yusuf; Publisher of Thisday Newspaper, Mr. Nduka Obaigbena; and a Member of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Mallam Ismaila Isa, at the Gala/Award Night of the International Press Institute, in Abuja:

“In the area of fighting corruption and in addition to prosecution of alleged looters, the government embarked on institutional reforms to address the menace.  The implementation of Treasury Single Account, TSA, establishment of an efficient unit to monitor income and expenditure of government are on records for people to see.

“Government’s Whistle-Blower policy has yielded massive dividends, as N13.8 billion from tax evaders, N7.8billion,  $378million and 27,800 pounds were recovered through this policy”, said the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

The Minister made this known at the award Night of the International Press Institute, IPI, in Abuja, debunked the report by press freedom organisation, Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ, that a certain Nigerian journalist has been in detention for the past two years.

He said, “Let me state here, without equivocating, that contrary to the report by CPJ, no journalist is in detention in Nigeria. Clement Abiri, who is being referred to as a journalist, is not one. He does not belong to any chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists. He was arrested for pipeline vandalism and crude theft, including militant activities in the Niger Delta”.

Alhaji Mohammed restated the commitment of the present administration to press freedom and gave the assurance that the media has nothing to fear under the present dispensation.

He emphasized, “In my opening comments at the 2016 IPI Congress in Doha, I said we as a government view the media as a partner. That remains true. I also said the media in Nigeria has nothing to fear from this Administration, and that – if anything – we as a government are the ones who have to fear the media. Also, that has not changed.

”We are proud that the Nigerian media is one of the most vibrant in the world. We are proud of the role that the Nigerian media has played in our long march to democratic governance. This administration will continue to provide enabling environment for the journalists to function unmolested”.

Speaking on the theme of the 67th IPI World Congress, ‘Why Good Journalism Matters,’ the Minister said apart from alerting the government to indispensable role of the media in the society, it reminds it of the purpose of journalism, which is to serve all citizens in a democratic society and to tell the truth.

He went on, “If we all agree on this obligation, then it behooves the media to tell the truth, not just to government in power, but to the people, making it easier for them to get the facts in the right context, thus facilitating their decision-making process. But in an era of growing cases of fake news and disinformation, can we still say the media – whether traditional or new – is living true to this dictum? If the answer is no, what does this portend for the profession in particular and the society in general? I am sure this congress is examining the issue critically in the course of its deliberations.”

Alhaji Mohammed appealed to the media to always report the government in the right context, in order to give the people opportunity to make informed decisions.

He said the present administration has kept its promise to fight corruption, tackle insecurity and revamp the economy.

The Minister said before the advent of the present administration, a territory three times the size of Lebanon, in the North-east of the country, was firmly in the hands of Boko Haram, but that, not an inch of the territory is currently under the control of the insurgents now.

“That is a fact. When Mr. President was taking the oath of office, Boko Haram retained the capacity to stroll into this city, at a time of its own choosing, to wreak havoc. Remember that the insurgents attacked the UN Complex, the police headquarters, motor parks, a newspaper office, etc right here in Abuja. That is now history. And that is a fact! Yes, cowardly suicide bombings still occur occasionally, such is the nature of a waning insurgency, what I will call the last kicks of a dying horse”.

The Minister thanked IPI for granting Nigeria the hosting right for its 67th World Congress, which he described as an affirmation that Nigeria is now safe for citizens and foreigners alike.

 

 

 

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