Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has said that the country is safer than it has ever been before.
Lai said this while faulting the recent warning of impeding terrorist attacks in the country, particularly in Abuja, adding that the Nigeria is not as bad as some people are painting it to be.
The minister stressed that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and the military are not slowing in their attempts to make things better.
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Mohammed said it was wrong for the embassies of the United States and the United Kingdom to issue security warnings about possible terrorist attacks on Abuja.
Speaking at the ministerial panel of the ongoing UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Week, Lai also blamed local media and social media users in Nigeria for spreading the information without weighing the consequences or seeking clarification from the government.
Speaking on the topic, “National Media and Information Literacy Frameworks, Sustaining Beyond Disinformation’’ the Minister said;
“Some media outlets and social media personalities are usually caught spreading unverified information on their platforms just for click bait and the attendant monetary gain.
“Talking of click bait, this may be what informed the spread of the supposed security alert issued recently by some foreign embassies in Nigeria.
“One would imagine that if indeed this kind of security alert was issued, it was for the attention of citizens of the issuing countries in Nigeria.
“Suddenly, this alert found its way into the media, both new and traditional, thus creating panic in the polity.
“Schools were shut. Businesses were closed. Travel plans were altered. Lives were disrupted. No one cared to find out about the authenticity of these alerts.
“They just published, got the benefit of massive click bait and damned the consequences.
“Nigeria is safer today than at any time in recent times.
“We do not discountenance the fact that terrorists, bandits and their kind would always want to do whatever it takes to disrupt our nation’s peace, security and stability.
“Well, I can assure all that our military and other security agencies have continued to do everything possible to secure and protect Nigerians and foreigners living in Nigeria.
“Terrorists have been hard hit and put on the run. Bandits have been decimated and scattered.”
Daily Report reports that the session was moderated by the Assistant Director-General, Communication and Information Sector, UNESCO, Dr Tawfik Jelassi.
Panelists include; Nigeria’s Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah while the UK Minister of Tech and Digital Economy, Damian Collins participated virtually.
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