Why no Nigerian journalist is in prison – Buhari’s minister

– Lai Mohammed urge journalist not to be afraid of Buhari’s government

– Mohammed speaks as a panelist at the 2016 Annual Congress of the International Press Institute (IPI) in Qatar, Doha

Nigeria’s minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed has urged journalists in Nigeria not to exercise fear while performing their duties.

Speaking in Doha, the Qatari capital, as a panelist at the on-going 2016 Annual Congress of the International Press Institute (IPI), in a debate session tagged ‘’International Declaration On The Protection of Journalists, Mohammed said: ‘’Under this dispensation, we have never even contemplated stifling the freedom of the media not to talk of hounding them to death.’’

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He added: ‘’Not a single journalist is in detention in Nigeria today. The government of the day is not a threat to the media, and it is not about to stifle press freedom or deny anyone his or her constitutionally guaranteed rights.”

According to Mohammed, having identified lack of communication and mutual suspicion as part of the reasons for regular frictions between the government and the media in Nigeria, the government had taken measures to enhance communication and also reduce suspicion between the two.

‘’These (measures) include strengthening the rapport between the government and the media, which I have done by meeting with the major stakeholders in the media industry, and setting up a committee between the media and the security/intelligence agencies to deepen communication and understanding,’’ he said.

The minister also said while the government had ensured the protection of the premises of vulnerable media establishments when required to do so, that does not affect the independence of such organisaions.

Commenting on the role of governments which regularly target journalists for their work, he said: ‘’The state which ought to protect life should not be the one to snuff it out.’’

Lai Mohammed had come under severe attack over his recent statement claiming that Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram were technically defeated.

However, the ruling APC  has stated that it is difficult to get a replacement for Mohammed, who was the party’s former spokesperson.

Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the national chairman of the APC, admitted that the party had a problem getting a spokesperson to fit into Mohammed’s shoes.

“I think that should be done very shortly. In fact, the issue is getting somebody that can be as close as possible to the outstanding performance of the present minister of information, Lai Mohammed,” he said.

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