'APC Will Win 2019 Elections, despite predictions' - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the APC will win the 2019 general elections on the basis of its performance, irrespective of the doomsday predictions by some international financial institutions and publications, reports ITREALMS.

The Minister gave the assurance in Lagos on Friday when he visited the corporate headquarters of Channels Television, in furtherance of the National Campaign Against Fake News, which was launched by the Federal Government in July.

He said the negative predictions against the APC-led Federal Government by an international financial institution, HSBC, and the Intelligence Unit of the Economist Magazine, were based on fake premises, thus qualifying such predictions as fake news.

“Talking about fake news, we expect that those who have been deeply affected by our policies will mount a sustained campaign against this Administration in the weeks and months to come. In fact, they have already started. We have all read that the Intelligence Unit of the Economist said the PDP will defeat the ruling APC in 2019. We have also read that the international financial institution, HSBC, said Nigeria's economic development will be stunted if President Buhari gets a second term.

“Let me state clearly that these reports are based on fake premises and, therefore, qualify as fake news. It is a psychological warfare by those who have been badly hit by our policies. For example, out fight against corruption has meant that many financial institutions, especially banks, that fed fat on the proceeds of corruption are no longer able to do that.

''Also, international publications that used to feed fat on questionable supplements paid for by the Federal Government have seen a drastic reduction in such patronage, as the Administration cuts down on frivolous spending that was the order of the day in the past.

Therefore, it is natural that these institutions and publications would not wish to see another term for this Administration,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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Lai says ‘FG has 69 ongoing infrastructural project in South East' – ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Federal Government has refuted the statement credited to the Governors of the states in the South-east, that the region has been shortchanged in the implementation of infrastructural projects, saying there are 69 ongoing projects in the region alone, reports ITREALMS.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, issued the rebuttal in Ilorin on Thursday, at a lecture by Mr. Festus Keyamo, spokesman for the President Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organization.

''While this claim may have made headlines, it is totally untrue. His Excellencies were either misquoted or they were quoted of context.

Either way, this allegation flies in the face of available evidence,'' he said, promising to publish THE full list of the projects and the state-by-state breakdown.

Alhaji Mohammed said no part of the country, including the South-east, has been left out of the massive infrastructural projects of this Administration, adding that from the proceeds of the 100 billion Naira Sukuk Bond alone, the South-east got 16.6 billion Naira worth of projects, just alike any other zone.

He listed the four projects covered by the Sukuk Bond proceeds In the South-east as Enugu-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway Section II (Umuahia Tower-Aba Township Rail/Road Bridge Crossing in Abia State; Enugu-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway Section I (Lokpanta-Umahia Tower) in Abia State; Outstanding section of the Onitsha-Enugu Expressway (Amansea - Enugu State Border) and the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway Section III (Enugu-Lokpanta) in Enugu State

The Minister said he had gone on a media inspection of the roads, as well as the Aba-Port Harcourt section of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway and the 2nd Niger Bridge, where the contractor has completed the first three phases of the project.

''In conclusion, the South-east has never had it so good in the area of infrastructure. Had the previous Administrations done even half of what we are doing now in that region, no one will be complaining today. It is alright to ask for more, but it is unfair to say nothing -has been done,'' he said.

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Lai to NBC: Sanction violators of broadcast code

ITREALMS:

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to sanction broadcasting organizations that violate the nation's Broadcast Code, saying the serial violation of the code by many radio and television stations constitute a threat to national peace, security and unity, reports ITRealms.

The Minister gave the directive while addressing participants at the DSO Stakeholders' Retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Friday.

''As I have said on a number of occasions, this Administration will neither stifle press freedom nor tamper with freedom of expression. But it will also not condone a situation in which broadcast stations will set the nation on fire by ignoring the minimum standard as contained in the Broadcast Code.

''If we set the country on fire by our actions, none of us will escape the consequences. For those who may think this is far-fetched, let me remind them that a radio station, Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), played a (catalytic) role during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide that left some 800,000 people dead,'' he said.

According to Minister’s media aide, Segun Adeyemi, in a press statement made available to ITRealms, quoted Alhaji Mohammed as saying that the Broadcast Code was clear when it said in Section 0.2.1: ''Broadcasting shall influence society positively, setting the agenda for the social, cultural, economic, political and technological development of a nation, for the public good.''

He also quoted three other relevant Sections of the Code: Section 3.1.2 (Materials likely to incite or encourage to the commission of a crime or lead to public disorder shall not be broadcast); Section 3.9.1 (Language or scene likely to encourage or incite to crime, or lead to disorder, shall not be broadcast) and Section 0.2.3g (Broadcasting shall be mindful of the degree of harm and offence likely to be caused by the inclusion of any material in programming, in general or in specific terms).

''Unfortunately, many of our broadcasters today are wilfully flouting these critical Sections of the Code by broadcasting inciting materials and language that can encourage or incite crime or lead to disorder. The situation has become worse in recent times, in the wake of the Farmers/Herders' clashes.

''The killings in Benue in the new year are unfortunate, condemnable and unacceptable. But the coverage of the aftermath of the killings by many broadcast stations has shown a flagrant disregard for the Broadcast Code, lack of professionalism and outright irresponsibility. Many broadcast stations are guilty of this,'' the Minister said.

He added: ''For those who may want to misrepresent us, this is not a call for censorship, but a call for responsibility and total adherence to the Broadcast Code. Playing, over and over again, the footage of dead bodies in the aftermath of any crisis is capable of inciting public disorder. Rolling, time and time again, the footage of mass burial of victims of any crisis is equally inciting. Offering your platform to public commentators who use incendiary language or engage in ethnic-baiting is detrimental to national peace and unity.''

Alhaji Mohammed commended the stakeholders for the success recorded in the Digital Switch Over (DSO) last year., saying it was a ''pleasant irony'' that a year that was marked with bickering ended with DSO rollout in Kwara and Kaduna States within 48 hours.

He said the momentum must be maintained by making the year 2018 the most successful yet in the country's digitization process.

''This retreat is therefore highly commendable, as it provides the stakeholders the opportunity to take a holistic look at the whole process and come out with the way forward. I have no doubt that the retreat, coming so early in the year, will have a positive impact on the DSO process, and speed up our rollout in the new year,'' the Minister said.

Bassey Etim Bassey/GEE 

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Pix: L-R Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission Is'haq Modibbo Kawu; Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the Chairman, House of Representatives' Committee on Information and National Orientation, Hon. Segun Odebunmi, at the DSO Stakeholders' Retreat in Uyo on Friday.

Chibok girls: Lai says FG in touch with Boko Haram to release them

ITRealms:

The Federal Government Sunday said they are in touch with Boko Haram for the release of the remaining Chibok girls abducted over some two years ago, reports ITRealms.

The government in response to the latest video of some of the girls, by Boko Haram, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in a press statement made available to ITRealms by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Segun Adeyemi in Abuja, that the government is in touch with those purportedly behind the video, and is doing everything possible to secure the release of the Chibok girls and put an end to the horrible saga of their abduction.

''We are on top of the situation. But we are being extremely careful because the situation has been compounded by the split in the leadership of Boko Haram. We are also being guided by the need to ensure the safety of the girls,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

Stressing, ''Since this is not the first time we have been contacted over the issue, we want to be doubly sure that those we are in touch with are who they claim to be,'' he said.

Mohammed further expressed the hope that the latest development will signal the beginning of the end of the nightmare to which the girls, their families and indeed all Nigerians have been subjected since the unfortunate abduction.

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DSO: Lai Mohammed in Beijing, says African nations united on digital broadcasting

ITRealms:

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that African nations have agreed to work together in their quest to successfully transit from Analogue to Digital broadcasting, reports ITRealms.

Speaking at the 6th African Digital TV Development Seminar in Beijing, China, on Thursday, the Minister said the decision to engage in shared experiences and synergy on a continental level was reached by the African Ministers in charge of Information and Communication, who attended the 3rd Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation also in Beijing, which preceded the Seminar.

 

‘’It is indeed worrisome that so far, only two African nations have successfully transited to Digital broadcasting. Others are in various stages of transition. It is therefore imperative that we all work together to achieve our set goal.

‘’In this regard, let me formally announce that the African Ministers in charge of Information and Communication who are attending this Seminar have agreed on the need for all African nations to jointly face the transition challenge, with a view to enhancing their success in meeting the deadline. 

‘’I am happy to inform this audience that the Ministers held an exploratory meeting here in Beijing on Tuesday - on the sidelines of the 3rd Forum on China-Africa Media Cooperation - in furtherance of this agreement,’’ he said.

Alhaji Mohammed expressed gratitude to his fellow African Ministers for their ‘’Pan African solidarity’’, saying he had no doubt that working together on this digitalization process ‘’will not only improve our chances of achieving a successful transition, but will also open a new vista of cooperation in other areas, for the benefit of all our peoples’’.

He commended the organizers of the Seminar for continuing their tradition of providing a forum for advancing the cause of digital television development in Africa. 

The Minister said in spite of the challenges faced by Nigeria in its efforts to transit from Analogue to Digital broadcasting, the country is confident of meeting the June 2017 deadline to switch off Analogue broadcasting, especially as it has successfully launched the pilot phase.

‘’We are confident because we, as a government, have the political will to drive the transition process. Also, all the stakeholders have demonstrated uncommon passion, patriotism and dedication to the cause of digitalization,’’ he said.

 

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