The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed disclosed that national development is not possible without securing Nigeria first, and entreated the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to speak out against those fanning the embers of disunity and discord in the country.
Lai Mohammed disclosed this on Monday at a meeting with the President of NIPR, Mr Muktar Sirajo and other members of the Governing Council on Monday.
What Lai Mohammed said
“Each of us in our respective positions has a role to play to tone down the rhetoric and reduce the tension (in the polity), and I am glad that NIPR is lending its platform to work with the government to ensure that we have a country, which is peaceful and which is secured.
Without security, there can be no development and that’s why this administration is doing everything possible to return peace and security across the country. This is where I think you can come in as a body of NIPR that we must put the nation first,” Lai Mohammed said.
He urged the NIPR to tackle the “menace of fake news” squarely, regrettably citing that members of the Institute have been found wanting as “they most times place pecuniary interests and motives above professional ethics and patriotism.”
In case you missed it
Nairametrics published Lai Mohammed’s speech on National Security last week where he cited a growing dangerous trend of launching deadly attacks against the nation’s security personnel.
“When those whose responsibility it is to protect us are themselves being subjected to mindless attacks, it can only be for one reason only: To instil fear and evoke a sense of pervasive insecurity among the people.
Whether known or unknown gunmen, those engaged in this dastardly act will pay dearly for their actions,” he said.