Buhari Has Met Citizens’ Expectations, Nigeria Now Better Under His Government – Minister Of Information, Lai Mohammed Boast

 

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime has made tremendous progress.

 

 According to Mr Mohammed, Nigeria is now better than before 2015 when the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in power.

Mr Mohammed said this on Monday when he was featured on Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) live programme, “Good Morning Nigeria.”

During the programme, the minister said Mr Buhari’s government had met the expectations of Nigerians and was true to its mandate given the time frame and circumstances.

He said that attempts to de-market the government and the country were the handiwork of die-hard naysayers and a vocal minority.

Speaking on the administration’s achievements, the minister said in 2015, the entire North-East region was inaccessible, and 20 of the 27 local government areas in Borno were under the control of Boko Haram insurgents.

He said presently, no portion or part of Nigeria’s territory was under the occupation and control of insurgents.

Mr Mohammed recalled that in 2015, Nigeria was the number one importer of rice from Thailand, but with the current administration’s policies and programmes on agriculture, the country is self-sufficient in the staple and food in general.

He said millions of farmers had been empowered with the Anchor Borrowers Programme while the number of rice mills in the country had increased from two in 2015 to 60 presently

The minister said under the administration’s social intervention programmes, 10 million pupils were fed daily while two million households benefitted from Conditional Cash Transfers, among others.

Mr Mohammed said the administration had constructed 17,000 km of new roads and rehabilitated 8,000 km across the country

“We completed the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, as well as the second Niger bridge, which was a mirage for more than three decades.

“Also for more than three decades, Nigerians did not know what it means to travel by train until the Buhari government came to power.

“In spite of all the sabotage, today we have working, the Lagos-Ibadan railway, Abuja-Kaduna railway and Ajaokuta-Warri railway which were not in existence before we came,’’ he said.

The minister said Mr Buhari’s government would continue to build a progressive and prosperous nation and would not be cowed or intimidated by the naysayers.

 

Nobody Can Destroy My Political Structure – Minister Of Information, Lai Mohammed Boast

Information minister Lai Mohammed says his political structure in Kwara remains intact and cannot be dismantled.

 

 The minister reiterated that despite the disagreement in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara, his supporters and allies were still loyal to him and his politically intact structure.

“My political structure cannot be torpedoed because of disagreement. That is the essence of political structure: when you are strong enough to weather the storm that will necessarily come up, especially when it is time to vie for political offices,’’ he said.

The minister said this in his hometown Oro near Ilorin, at the traditional marriage of his granddaughter, Toyosi, to Gbolahan Sambo.

Reacting to a question about the presence of political associates and supporters at the ceremony, Mr Mohammed said, “I am glad you noticed that I have here today the same people I have been working with in the last 20 years politically in Kwara. Though they tried to pluck me away from them, we interact regularly and we have almost become a family.”

The minister added, “I am not surprised even though I am delighted that they turned out in their numbers today to share with me in the joy of this occasion. What this means fundamentally is that there is no difference politically between me and them and they still regard me as one of their leaders, and I still regard them as my associates.”

 

Buhari Will Be Greatly Remembered For His High-impact Projects – Minister Of Information, Lai Mohammed Says

 

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says history will be fair and kind to President Muhammadu Buhari despite naysayers’ attempt to downplay his regime’s achievements.

Mr Mohammed made the declaration at the inaugural edition of the PMB Administration Scorecard (2015-2023) series organised by the ministry on Wednesday in Abuja.

He stressed that the administration had implemented high-impact projects across the country that met the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians and that history would be fair to the administration.

“Those whose trips have been shortened and smoothened by good roads and bridges will remember those who constructed those roads and bridges.”

The minister also said Nigerians who travel by rail and use modern terminals at the airports would remember the president.“

The 9.8 million school children who are fed daily; the 1 million youths that have been empowered, as well as the 500,000 youths who are undergoing training under the N-Power, will not forget this administration.

“The 1,632,480 households that have been enrolled in the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme will also not forget the administration’s welfare programmes,” Mr Mohammed said.

Mr Mohammed noted that naysayers had attempted to play down the massive and unprecedented achievements of Mr Buhari’s administration while politicising issues.

The minister said the scorecard series was designed to showcase the massive achievements of the administration as it winds down.

He assured that ministers and other top government officials would feature in the series to showcase the giant strides in their various ministries and sectors.

Wednesday’s session was attended by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Works and Housing, Umar El-Yakub and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello.

Also at the event were the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Ikechukwu Ikoh and Chief Executive Officers of parastatal agencies in the Ministry of Information and Culture.

Buhari’s Government Has Surpassed Other Administrations In Provision Of Infrastructure – Minister Of Information, Lai Mohammed

 

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s commitment to infrastructure development covering roads, bridges, rail, water dams and sea ports was unprecedented.

 

While inspecting the newly completed Terminal Two of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Mr Mohammed said Mr Buhari’s performance surpassed past administrations.

“No administration in the history of Nigeria has done this much, especially at a time of scarcity of resources,” the minister told journalists on Monday.

Meanwhile, he said the new terminal can process 14 million passengers per annum, just as he clarified that it was not built to replace Terminal One but to complement it.

Mr Mohammed also disclosed that over 10,000 direct and indirect job opportunities had been created in the new terminal.

He said the edifice, replicated in Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Enugu and Kano airports, is a testament to the achievements of Mr Buhari’s administration in infrastructure development.

Speaking on the facilities and fittings in the terminal, the minister said it was a whole new experience, especially in terms of aesthetics, comfort, free trolley services, hotel and premium lounges, friendly customer services and free wifi.

“I must confess it was an exhilarating experience comparable to what obtains anywhere in the world,’’ he said.

The new terminal has 60 check-in counters and seven passenger boarding bridges. Five baggage claim belts, 16 departure desks and 28 arrival desks.

There are eight security screening points, a fully automated security control room with CCTV and eye-based lie detector machine.

 

Nigeria Is Becoming Safer Every Day — Minister Of Information, Lai Mohammed Says

 

Nigeria is becoming a safer place with each passing day, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said.

The minister, who spoke in Abuja, on Monday, March 28, said this is as a result of the string of successes being recorded in the fight against Boko Haram, ISWAP, bandits and other criminal elements.

According to him, the security forces had taken the battle to the bandits and put them on the run and their ranks are being decimated by the day.

“I am proud of our security forces, our men and women in uniform. Despite a myriad of security challenges, they are living up to the billing.

As the terrorists and their camps are being decimated, thousands of terrorists and their families are surrendering in droves. The effectiveness of the security forces has been enhanced by the leadership provided by President Muhammadu Buhari and the unwavering commitment of the armed forces and its leadership,” he said.

However, few hours after the minister made this remarks, terrorists bombes Abuja-Kaduna train conveying over 900 passengers leaving many died and some injuried.

Minister Of Information, Lai Mohammed Begs China For Quick Release of $500 million Loan For NTA

The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed has begged the Chinese government to fast-track the approval of $500 million loan for Nigeria.

Mr Mohammed made the plea when he met Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Chui Jian Chun in his office on Thursday, according to a statement shared on the information ministry’s Facebook page.

“Also worthy of mention, Your Excellency, is the 500-million-dollar loan which we are seeking from the China Export-Import Bank for three major projects – the digitization of the NTA, the construction of a headquarters complex and transmission network for Integrated Television Services (ITS), a Federal Government-owned signal distributor that is a major component of the country’s Digital Switch Over (DSO), and the construction of an ultra-modern Media City in Ikorodu,” Mr Mohammed said.

”I want to use this opportunity to appeal to Your Excellency to continue to use your good offices to fast-track the evaluation and approval process of the loan by the China Export Import Bank, and to thank you for your efforts so far in this regard,” he added.

The Muhammadu Buhari regime has heavily relied on Chinese loans to finance many of its capital projects. Per latest reports from the Debts Management Office (DMO), Nigeria’s public debt stood at N39.55 trillion as of December, 2021.

In September 2020, former President Olusegun Obasanjo condemned the continuous borrowing by the Buhari-led regime, saying accumulating debt for future generation is foolish and criminal