The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says the
Federal Government is delivering on its election promises and that only “a
few vocal minority are not seeing what the government is doing.’’
The minister stated this when the leadership of the National Association
and Nigerian Students (NANS), paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja Tuesday
evening.
Mohammed said “the administration is on course in the delivery of the
three major electoral promises it made before coming to power. That are:
to fight corruption, fight insecurity and fix the economy.
He said in less than two years, the government had restored peace and
territories that were taken over in the troubled North-East and defeated
the Boko Haram insurgents.
“Our success in fighting insecurity is there for everybody to see. It is
not just fighting insecurity but consistently restoring peace to every
part of Nigeria’’, he said.
The minister said the administration deserved credit for securing the
freedom of the Chibok school girls so far released by Boko Haram.
He assured that the government was working toward the release of the
remaining girls as well as others in Boko Haram’s captivity.
In fighting corruption, the minister said government took the bull by the
horns, considering the fact that “it is as deadly as insecurity and has
grave effects on national development.
“In our approach, we are not interested in vilifying anybody but more
interested in letting people know how much we are suffering as a result of
corruption perpetrated by only a few opportunists.
“If the looted moneys were invested and utilised, today we are going to
have railway, our power will not be epileptic, our roads will be better
and we will not have highest number of mortality.
“We have not been selective in the fight against corruption and that is
why we introduced the whistle blowing policy and I am glad to hear that
the students are prepared to work with us not just to blow whistle but to
blow trumpet’’, he said.
The minister said that government has done a lot in fixing the economy but
the approach is not a quick fix as was done in the past and expected by
the people.
He said the government was investing massively in infrastructure and in
diversifying the economy from oil.
“For many decades we have discovered oil, the country has failed to
develop other areas to diversify the economy.
“We came in and we said we are going to do what no government has ever
done before and ensure that never again will Nigeria be held hostage by
crude oil.
“We are working to develop other sectors of the economy like agriculture,
manufacturing, mining and the creative industry so that even if oil falls
to as low as 10 dollars a barrel, it will not affect us.
“We are also investing in infrastructure to create the foundation for
sustainable economic growth’’, he said.
The minister noted that there was no gain without pain and the hardship
the people were going through was temporary.
He said the national re-orientation campaign “Change Begins with Me’’ was
the greatest legacy of the administration and he was glad that the
students were prepared to partner with government to take the campaign to
schools.
National President of NANS, Haruna Kadiri commended the government for its
efforts in addressing insecurity and ensuring the release of abducted
Chibok girls.
Kadiri also commended the government’s anti-corruption policy and approach
and prayed for quick recovery of the President and his safe return to
continue the good work.
He said the association was ready to work with government in taking the
Change Begins with Me national reorientation campaign to campuses,
secondary and primary schools.