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Tag: Lai Mohammed

  • Lai Mohammed turbaned Kakakin Kebbi

    Lai Mohammed turbaned Kakakin Kebbi

    The Emir of Argungu, HRH Sumaila Mera on Sunday conferred the traditional title of Kakakin Kebbi (Cultural Ambassador of Kebbi) on the Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    The turbaning which took place at the forecourt of the Palace of the Emir in Argungu town, Kebbi State was on the sideline of the 2021 World Tourism Day to be celebrated in Birnin-Kebbi on Monday

    Speaking at the event, the Emir said the title was conferred on the minister because of his “courage and strength of character in projecting the image of Nigeria locally and internationally”.

    Alhaji. Lai Mohammed in red traditional regalia shortly after his turbaning as “Kakakin Kebbi” meaning Cultural Ambassador of Kebbi by the Emir of Argungu, HRH Sumaila Mera in Argungu town of Kebbi state. Photo/NAN

    Specifically, the Emir said the emirate honoured the minister with the title as a show of appreciation for his effort in promoting the Argungu Fishing and Cultural Festival to attain international status

    The annual festival which attracts local and international participants and tourists was in 2017 listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

    The Emir also commended past Ministers of Culture and Tourism for their efforts in promoting the festival nationally since 1970.

    “Traditionally, Kakakin is an instrument which attracts attention. From the authority of the Emir and the entire people of the emirate, it has now been handed over to the recipient.

    “The bearer of the instrument is the trumpet of the Argungu Emirate and he will be traditionally referred to as Kakakin.

    “This gesture will be permanently recorded in the annal of our history that the minister is the Kakakin Kebbi.

    “On behalf of the entire people of the emirate, I welcome you most warmly and I want to assure you that we will involve you in all matters of importance in the emirate,” he said.

    The traditional rulers charged the minister to reciprocate the gesture by continuing to promote the cultural heritage of Kebbi and Argungu emirate in particular.

    He assured that the emirate and the country at large would benefit from the wealth of experience of the minister.

    The minister thanked the Emir and the entire people of the emirate for their affection and generosity in bestowing the honour and title of Kakakin Kebbi on him.
    “As the cultural ambassador of Kebbi, I will endeavour that we develop all the festivals in the four emirates in the state in a manner that they will be globally recognised.

    The minister said the choice of Kebbi for the 2021 celebration of the World Tourism Day was not just by coincidence but well planned and thought out.

    According to him, Kebbi state is one of the frontline cultural and tourism destinations and all the four emirates in the state have sellable cultural heritages.

    “The Argungu fishing and cultural festival is known not just in Nigeria but all over the world and I am proud to say that it is one ofe five festivals that have been ascribed intangible heritage of UNESCO.

    “The festival should not be seen from the view point of fishing and entertainment alone. rather it should be seen as a symbol of unity,” he said.

    Mohammed said the Hottungo festival in Gwandu emirate of Kebbi is celebrated annually by the Fulani tribe to thank Allah for the safe return of their cattle.

    He said the Regatta Carnival, celebrated in Yauri Emirate of Kebbi started way back as a measure for protecting bridal trains which were being attacked on the river in those days.

    The minister said the Uhola festival in Zuru Emirate is celebrated annually at the end of harvest to thank God for bountiful agricultural produce.

    “I am glad that a lot of these cultural practices have been largely modernised.
    “In particular is the practice where a prospective bridegroom have to stay seven years in the farm of a father in-law before he can be given his bride,” he said.

  • Nigeria, US to sign agreement on cultural property trafficking

    Nigeria, US to sign agreement on cultural property trafficking

    The Federal Government and the United States of America have agreed to sign a bilateral agreement stopping illicit trafficking in cultural property and artefacts.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed this in Washington DC after a closed door meeting with the U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of State on Education and Culture, Mr Mathew Lussenhop.

    After the meeting, the minister said the agreement which would be signed in Nigeria soon, would expand cooperation between the two countries in the area of cultural property.

    Specifically, the minister said the agreement would prevent stolen artefacts in Nigeria from getting into the U.S. to prevent the harrowing experiences passed through in retrieving looted Benin bronzes from Germany.

    He said the agreement included capacity building for Nigerians and the country was the second in Africa to enter into it with the U.S. after Mali.

    “We agree on the final draft of the MoU which will be ready after vetting by our Ministry of Justice, and anytime soon, there will be a signing ceremony in Nigeria.

    “The agreement is to prevent artefacts and cultural property that people want to illicitly ship to the U.S.

    “In addition to artefact, the agreement also extends to illicit drug trafficking and the FBI is involved,’’ he said.

    Mohammed said that there were few stolen artefacts that Nigeria was expecting mostly from private museums in the U.S.

    “They have invited us and the National Commission for Museum and Monument is working hard on this.

    “In particular, there are about two or three private collectors who had voluntarily surrendered the artefacts which they believed were either illegally trafficked or stolen from Nigeria,’’ he said.

    The minister recalled that he was in Germany in July on the trail of thousands of artefacts looted from Benin Kingdom during the 1897 British expedition.

  • Repentant insurgents can be prosecuted — Lai Mohammed

    Repentant insurgents can be prosecuted — Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says contrary to the misleading report attributed to him, repentant insurgents can be prosecuted.

    The minister, who spoke in Washington DC. on Saturday, said he was misrepresented in the report claiming “the decision of the Federal Government not to prosecute repentant insurgents was in line with global best practice”

    The minister reiterated his position that the call for the shooting of the repentant insurgents without profiling and prosecution was against best global practice.

    The minister said his words were unambiguous and repeated what he said in the report.

    “I personally spoke to the military authority before I left Nigeria and they said what they were doing is what the global practice dictates about soldiers that surrendered that should be treated as prisoners of war.

    “You cannot just shoot them because there are international conventions that give rights also to prisoners of war.

    “What the military is doing is that, when they surrender, they profile them to ensure that they are genuine and reintegrate them into the society,’’ he said.

    He reiterated his position that the fact that the country was witnessing insurgents submitting in droves calls for commendation of the President Muhammadu Buharu and military for their doggedness.

  • Nowhere is safe worldwide if terrorism thrives – Lai Mohammed

    Nowhere is safe worldwide if terrorism thrives – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says terrorism is a global issue and no part of the world is safe if it is allowed to pervade in any corner of the world.

    The minister stated this in Washington DC during his on-going engagement with various global media outlets, global think tanks and influencers.

    The engagement is to enable the minister put across the correct narratives about what is happening in Nigeria, showcase government achievements and present challenges facing the country.

    During his respective interaction with Reuters, Washington Post and Bloomberg Quicktake, a live streaming news service, the minister underscored the need for the developed world to see terrorism as a global threat and handle it as such.

    “Terrorism is global and has no boundary. For the world to be saved, every corner of the world must be saved.

    “We can see from the example of the U.S., where Taliban takes over Afghanistan, a pointer to how difficult it is to fight terrorism driven by ideology.

    “The western world should look into helping developing nations like Nigeria in developing their infrastructure.

    “This will help to create employment and quality livelihood that will make it difficult for ideological group like Boko Haram to recruit the youths,’’ he said.

    The minister said that Nigeria welcomed the support received from the U.S. and other countries in fighting Boko Haram insurgency.

    He added that more help especially in funding infrastructure and global support in fighting terrorism would go a long way in stamping out the menace.

    Mohammed said that the Afghanistan debacle should make the world to appreciate Nigeria more in the methods deployed in fighting the asymmetric warfare.

    He said that the development had proven right the position of President Muhammadu Buhari that when fighting an unconventional war, the country had to be resourceful

    “If what happened in Afghanistan is something to go by, then the Federal Government should be given kudos for the way it has handled insurgency in the last couple of years.

    “The lessons from Afghanistan today is that for over 20 years of American intervention and over a trillion dollar spent and thousands of American lives lost, it took the Taliban just few weeks to recapture Afghanistan.

    “This should be a lesson for everybody that when you are fighting an insurgency or movement driven by ideology, it is always difficult to overcome and you must be resourceful, deploying both kinetic and non-kinetic approach.

    “When people were saying we should invite mercenaries, the president was focused and maintained that our military have what it takes.

    The minister said that the President should be given kudos for believing in the military and deploying both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to fighting insurgency.

  • We have agreed on seven out of 10 requests made to Twitter – Lai Mohammed

    We have agreed on seven out of 10 requests made to Twitter – Lai Mohammed

    Nigeria expects to lift its ban on Twitter before the end of the year, Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, told Reuters on Thursday, adding that the government was awaiting a response on three final requests made of the social media platform.

    Mohammed said the government had reached agreements on seven of 10 requests made to Twitter but was waiting for the company’s response on final issues, including setting up a local office, paying tax locally and cooperating with the government to regulate content and harmful tweets.

    “We certainly want to put this behind us before the end of the year,” Mohammed said.

    The government suspended Twitter on June 4 after it removed a post from President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened to punish regional secessionists.

    It was a culmination of months of tension. Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey’s posts encouraging donations to anti-police brutality protests last October and Twitter posts from Nnamdi Kanu, a Biafran separatist leader currently on trial in Abuja, infuriated authorities.

    Mohammed said Twitter “made their platform the platform of choice for separatists”, and was suspended because it threatened national unity.

    Last month, Nigeria’s broadcasting regulator asked TV stations to curb their reporting of security issues in the country by withholding details of incidents and victims. read more

    Mohammed said concerns over deteriorating freedom of speech were the result of misinformation. He added he was currently in Washington, D.C. meeting with journalists and opinion leaders in an effort to counter such misunderstandings.

  • Buhari’s treatment abroad not vote of no confidence on heath sector, says Minister

    Buhari’s treatment abroad not vote of no confidence on heath sector, says Minister

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed says, the seeking of medical care abroad by President Muhammadu Buhari is not an indication that the nation’s medical sector has collapsed.

    The minister stated this in Washington DC during his engagements with international media organisations including the BBC Radio and Television, Bloomberg and Politico.

    The minister is in the U.S. to meet with international media organisations and think tanks on the achievements of President Buhari’s administration and efforts made so far in tackling insurgency, banditry and all form of criminality.

    Speaking with newsmen after a separate interview with the three media organisations, the minister said the President had the right to choose his physician and “he is not the first head of state going abroad for treatment’’

    “As Minister of Information and Culture today, if I have had a history of using a particular Doctor in my life and I have confidence in him, I don’t think the fact that I am now a minister will change that.

    “Irrespective of the nationality of that Doctor, it is my personal decision to choose the Doctor to use

    “Like I explained to them, he is not the only Head of State that have gone abroad for treatment.

    “If Mr President has a personal physician for over 30 years, who understands his case and has been managing him, why will it be an issue of contention to seek medical attention from him.

    “It will not be right to say that because of what people are going to say, he has to stay in Nigeria to seek treatment,’’ he said..

    The minister berated those who were criticising the President’s action of seeking medical attention abroad stressing that it was an inconsequential attempt to de-market him.

    He said in spite of challenges, the nation’s health sector is not in comatose to warrant a vote of no confidence on the sector

    Mohammed disclosed that in spite of criticism of the sector, the World Health Organisation had rated Nigeria fourth in terms of the national response to COVID-19.

    He said the country attained the feat, notwithstanding the two-pronged challenges of vaccines nationalism and hesitancy.

    The minister explained that vaccine nationalism was the situation where countries like Nigeria were denied access to procure vaccines to administer to its teeming population.

    “In countries where they have less population they have received tens of millions of doses whereas in Nigeria we have received just about eight million.

    “This is a far cry from the 70 per cent population that we need to vaccinate before we can achieve head immunity.

    Mohammed said vaccine hesitancy fueled by fake news and disinformation was becoming very high in the country

    He said people were misinformed that when they take the vaccine, it had magnetic effect while there was also the fake news that the vaccine was meant to depopulate certain part of the country.

    The minister said while the steering committee on COVID-19 continued to strengthen its campaign, the states should strengthen their surveillance system

    He enjoined traditional and religious leaders as well as the media to continue with advocacy on the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.

  • Nigeria can’t go Afghanistan way – Lai Mohammed

    Nigeria can’t go Afghanistan way – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed says Nigeria is not a failed state and cannot go the way of Afghanistan where terrorist group has taken the rein of power.

    The minister stated this in Washington DC during his engagements with international media organisations including the BBC Radio and Television, Bloomberg and Politico.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the minister is in the U.S. to meet with international media organisations and think tanks on the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and efforts made so far in tackling insurgency, banditry and all form of criminality.

    Speaking with NAN after his respective meeting with the three media organisations, Mohammed said insinuation in certain quarter that the security situation in Nigeria could degenerate to that of Afghanistan was not correct.

    He emphasized that Nigeria is winning the war against terror and the country cannot go the way of Afghanistan where Taliban, a terrorist group took over power.

    “Nigeria is not and will not be a failed state. Yes, we have challenges in some corners of the country but that has not made Nigeria a failed state.

    “A failed state is one where basic facilities are not available and everything has broken down but, Nigeria is not in that stage,’’ he said.

    Mohammed said Nigeria is not at war adding that fake news and disinformation was being used to portray the country in precarious situation.

    The minister noted that the development in Afghanistan, had proven right the position of President Buhari that when fighting an unconventional war, the country had to be resourceful

    “If what happened in Afghanistan is something to go by, then the federal government should be given kudos for the way it has handled insurgency in the last couple of years.

    “The lessons from Afghanistan today is that for over 20 years of American intervention and over a trillion dollar spent and thousands of American lives lost, it took the Taliban just few weeks to recapture Afghanistan.

    “This should be a lesson for everybody that when you are fighting an insurgency or movement driven by ideology, it is always difficult to overcome and you must be resourceful, deploying both kinetic and non-kinetic approach.

    “When people were saying we should invite mercenaries, the president was focused and maintained that our military have what it takes.

    “The President should be given kudos for believing in our military and deploying both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches,’’ he said.

    He said while a lot of efforts had been put on kinetic approach, the Nigerian military also engaged in non-kinetic approach, building hospitals, reviving schools, teaching in some of the schools and delivering medical cares to the people in affected areas.

    According to the minister, the non-kinetic approach to fighting insurgency in the North-East, had led to droves of insurgents coming out to surrender arms and pledge their loyalty to the government.

    He noted that with the recent development of many Boko Haram coming out voluntarily to surrender their arms, the country is winning the war against insurgency.

    Speaking on banditry, the minister said bandits were now suffering more casualties than ever before.

    He assured that the delivery of the Super Tucano military platforms by US to the military would will be a game changer in the fight against banditry.

  • We won’t rest until social media is regulated – Lai Mohammed

    We won’t rest until social media is regulated – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said the Federal government will not rest until social media platforms are regulated.

    The minister said this while interacting with journalists in Washington while reacting to media reports that claimed he sneaked out of Nigeria to the US to meet with Twitter operators to resolve the ban on the micro-blogging site in Nigeria.

    Lai said fake news such as this reaffirms the need for social media to be regulated.

    Speaking during the interview, Mohammed said :“Can a minister sneak out of Nigeria without people knowing? When you say I sneaked out of Nigeria, are you saying I went to board at a terminal where nobody is or I travelled to the Republic of Benin to fly out of the country?”

    I was at an international airport, where I presented myself openly and I was checked in at the counter like every other traveller of the airline. I boarded and passed through the checks by the immigration service and customs. We won?t rest until social media is regulated – Lai Mohammed

    How can you come and say I sneaked out of the country? You and I have been here, have I met with any Twitter official­?

    When you talk about fake news and its dangers, we need to take it seriously and I am happy that the entire world is now seeing what we saw more than two years ago. I can assure you that we will not rest until we regulate the social media. Otherwise, nobody will survive it.”

  • FG insists Twitter must have office in Nigeria to have ban lifted

    FG insists Twitter must have office in Nigeria to have ban lifted

    The federal government of Nigeria has said discussions with Twitter to have it’s ban lifted have reached an advanced stage but that the microblogging platform must have its office in the country for the ban to be lifted.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made the federal government’s position known while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council, (FEC) presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the First Lady’s Conference room, Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.

    Alhaji Mohammed stated that some of the conditions made by the Federal Government for Twitter operations to resume in Nigeria include that Twitter should establish legal presence in the country, register as a Nigerian company with an address.

    It should also have a Country Representative that will serve as a liaison and must register with relevant regulatory agencies including the NCC.

    The government is also demanding that Twitter must commit itself to the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS. The government is also proposing an Ombudsman between Twitter and Nigeria.

    When the Minister was asked to give update on the Twitter ban in Nigeria and the interface with the company, he said: “The end for amicable resolution is very much in sight. We appreciate the patience of Nigerians. I want to assure you that we have made very tremendous progress. We have met with Twitter both physically and in writing. We are actually almost there.

    “The engagement has been extremely positive without any acrimony. We have made it clear what we want from Twitter. They (Twitter) have shown a lot of flexibility, the conversation has not been acrimonious”.

    He, however said that there were about three to four areas the two were yet to reach agreement which include opening of office in Nigeria with staff, adding that Twitter has agreed to open office in the country in 2022.

  • Why we have strict travel protocols in Nigeria – FG

    Why we have strict travel protocols in Nigeria – FG

    The Federal Government says its strict travel protocols are put in place to protect its citizens from being infected by COVID-19 pandemic.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made this known in an interview in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Mohammed said Nigeria had been tagged as a very strict country in terms of travel protocols, explaining that the stand of the government was to protect its people against the spread of the virus.

    “We have been accused that our rules are being stringent. We say no. We are not being tough for toughness sake. We are being tough because that is what science demands. We are tough because we want to protect our people.

    “This is why you will see that the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) has designated and ranked different parts of the globe where the Delta variant is prevalent or the very high risk of contracting COVID-19.

    “We have labeled them restricted countries. As of today we have only four of such; South Africa, India, Brazil and Turkey. And there are strict travel protocols around these countries because we want to prevent and protect our people.

    “The first instance, nationals of these countries are not allowed into Nigeria. If you are a Brazilian and you are coming from Brazil and Indian coming from India, a South African coming from South Africa or Turkish coming from Turkey.

    “It doesn’t mean a Brazilian living in London cannot come, you can come if you are coming from London. And also, not everybody coming from these countries are banned, we make exemptions; diplomats are exempted, high level government officials, those coming to fix our infrastructure and economy are exempted by PSC.

    “But no matter what category whether a Nigerian coming from Turkey or you are exempted for whatever you are coming to do in Nigeria but you must observe the travel protocols which means you check in straight into a quarantined facility approved by the Federal Government.

    “And when you are there, your health is monitored constantly, day two of your arrival, you will do a COVID-19 test, do another one day seven, it is only after you are tested negative at day seven that you are allowed to go home and meet your relations.

    “However those who are coming from non-restricted countries, also have their own protocols to observe, one, they must self-isolate in their respective homes and two, day seven, they must come out and do a test before they are being discharged,” he explained.

    The minister said regrettably, many people who came in from non-restricted countries did not observe self-isolation and even when they did they thought it was an occasion to invite friends and relations.

    “It is a dangerous practice. Those doing that are endangering their lives, the lives of their friends and relations.

    “If you have taken the two doses of your AstraZeneca or new Moderna, they will not prevent you from catching COVID-19 again, the only advantage you have, if you catch it after you took the vaccine, you won’t be terribly sick, you may not even notice it, you won’t be hospitalised and you will not die of COVID-19.

    “If someone comes in from a country like India for instance even if he is vaccinated and he meets a Nigerian who has been vaccinated, that Nigerian can still catch it because you need to have vaccinated at least 70 per cent of your population.

    “It is when you have vaccinated 70 per cent of your population before you can achieve what they call herd immunity. Here we are still struggling with two per cent vaccination.

    “So that is why we put what looks like tough travel protocols around most restricted and non-restricted countries.”

    Mohammed, however, noted that this list was not final and any country Nigeria noticed that COVID-19 or delta variant was becoming endemic such country would be added to the list because it was all about safety of lives of the citizens.