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Christmas Day Radio Interview: If there’s a doctored tape, Lai Mohammed is the author — Saraki’s Aide
Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to Senate President, Yusuph Olaniyonu, has stated that if there is any doctored version of the Christmas Day radio interview by his boss, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the Minister of Information, Mr. Lai Mohammed, who presented it should be asked where he got it from.
Accusing Mohammed as being the author of such a doctored recording, Olaniyonu, in a statement in Abuja, stated that the radio stations were simply instructed to do a repeat broadcast of the interview following the requests by stakeholders at various meetings held by the Senate President around the state.
“Nobody produced another tape or instructed anybody to edit any part of the tape and nothing like that was done. That is why the same instruction was passed to all the stations, including Harmony FM which is under the supervision of Mr. Lai Mohammed and the Sobi FM owned by an APC gubernatorial aspirant. The Sobi FM did not air the repeat broadcast because they said they had another Programme scheduled for that Sunday morning.
“On my way to Pategi town in Kwara North Senatorial District that Sunday morning, I listened to the repeat broadcast on the car stereo and the area concerning the Offa case was clearly there. If there was any plan to doctor or edit the tape, would we do such a thing with Mr. Mohammed’s Harmony FM or propose that to Sobi FM whose position is well known to us? So, if Mohammed suddenly created and produced a recording of the interview different from what was repeated by the four radio stations on December 30, 2018, then he should be asked how and where he got it,” Olaniyonu stated.
He added that it was good that Mohammed at least admitted that Dr. Saraki donated N10 million to people in Offa but that the money was meant for the traders that lost goods in the inferno that razed the market in the town and not for the victims of the robbery incident.
“I remember as a member of the Senate President’s delegation to the Olofa of Offa’s Palace, to commiserate with the people on the sad incident of the robbery that it was during that visit that Mrs. McCarthy, the secretary of the Offa Development Union (ODU) raised the issue of the earlier incident on the market fire incident and Dr. Saraki promised that N10m would be made available the following day.
“The question people should ask the Minister is: How much has he ever donated to provide succour for the people of Offa for whatever purpose? He is only trying to draw political capital from the sad occurrences that happened to his own people. We are not unmindful of the fact that he continued to talk about the Offa incident as a way of playing cheap politics on the misfortune that befell some people. We urge him to move on to talking about what development projects he has brought to Offa as a member of the Federal Executive Council representing Kwara State,” he added.
The aide to the Senate President noted that while the information Minister continue to grand-stand over a dubious and Pyrrhic victory recorded by his party in a bye-election in which he led security agencies to inflict violence on his people, the results had only produced an illegitimate legislator who is largely shunned and viewed with scorn by members of his community.
“We are not surprised that a ‘visiting’ politician like Mr. Mohammed, found it strange that Dr. Saraki held meetings with canvassers and stakeholders across the local government areas during the Christmas holiday. As a grassroots mobiliser, this is what he has always done since he first contested in an election in 2003. Well, a Lagos-based, ‘seasonal’ politician like the minister would not know. Now, he should know that the electioneering campaign in Kwara State is always done on ward to ward basis and not by staying in Abuja or the state capital. As a matter of fact, the campaign is yet to begin.
“At this point, Mr. Mohammed should tell the public which faction of APC he belongs to in Kwara State because the last time we checked, he is a member of the Bolarinwa faction which has been declared illegal and all its activities and candidates nullified by the Court. He should let us know if he has now joined the Balogun-Fulani faction or as he is fond of doing, he will simply stay in Lagos and be a poll observer in the coming elections. As he struggles to answer the above questions, let it be known that this will be my last word on this issue,” Olaniyonu stated.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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