Information Minister Urges Diaspora Group to Counter False Narratives on Nigeria

• By Joel ThankGod : (Reporting from Abuja)

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has called on the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), to counter false narratives by secessionist groups, insurgents and anarchists who portray Nigeria in bad light.

The Minister, said this in Abuja, yesterday, when he received members of NIDO, UK Chapter, during courtesy visit.

His assertions: “As an organised and well connected group, I implore NIDO to leverage its contacts in government circles, parliamentary groups and global think-tanks in world capitals to help in changing the narrative and sweep the carpet off feet of secessionist groups, insurgents and anarchists who are bent on pushing false narratives to portray Nigeria in bad light.

”I have no doubt that you will take this call seriously and do everything in your power to change the narrative for the better”.

He went on: “The Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, considers Nigerians in Diaspora as critical stakeholders in the Nigerian project. As such, he has done the unprecedented by establishing Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) which, he said, has been doing a good job in coordinating and providing organised system of collaborations for Nigerians in Diaspora.”

The Minister, slammed some Nigerians in Diaspora, who are funding nefarious activities of secessionist groups that are campaigning around the world to propagate their fake narratives about the country.

He stressed: “Instead of contributing their own quota, all you hear from a section of Nigerians in Diaspora and their allies back home are fake narratives and untrue allegations of religious persecution, political marginalisation and human rights abuses. These are baseless and false

“Nigeria is facing some challenges including dwindling revenue. Despite these challenges, the Administration has recorded tremendous achievements in infrastructure like roads, rail, power, housing and agriculture, where the country is closer than ever to achieving self-sufficiency in major staples.”

According to him, the fight against corruption, which the Administration is prosecuting in an institutionalised manner, as well as revamping of the economy, especially through diversification, as some of the achievements of Buhari Administration.

He said as part of deliberate effort to counter anti-government propaganda, which is aimed at drowning the successes recorded by the administration, the government is scaling up diplomatic efforts to reverse the trend.

He pointed out: “On our part as government, we are currently re-engineering and ramping up our diplomatic efforts to counter and reverse the narrative, in addition to countering pervasive anti-government propaganda”.

Also speaking, the Chairman, NIDO, UK Chapter, Mr. Chibuzo Ubochi, commended President Buhari for officially gazetting July 25, every year as the National Diaspora Day.

He called on the National Assembly to fast track passage of the bill that would enable Nigerians in Diaspora to vote and be voted for during elections, in view of their numerous contributions to the nation’s economy.