Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says the report that he has 1.2
billion dollars (about N400 billion) in his bank account is “fake and
vicious’’.
The minister
stated this, on Thursday, in Ilorin, at the Annual National Conference and
General Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) with the
theme; “Communicating Values for Development and Sustainability’’.
The minister
said that the report was invented by opposition and naysayers to malign him and
the government, adding that the alleged fund is about the budget of his
ministry for 25 years.
3. I don’t
have $1.2bn in any account – Lai Mohammed declares
“How else can
you explain that people will believe and circulate a fake report that the
Minister of Information and Culture that is yours truly has 1.2 billion dollars
in his imaginary bank account?
“Let’s examine
this for a moment. 1.2 billion dollars is about N400 billion.
“The entire
yearly budget of the Ministry of Information and Culture, where I preside, is
under 15 billion Naira and these include salaries, overhead and capital
projects.
“Assuming,
without conceding that the Minister somehow manages to transfer the entire
budget into his personal account, it will take 25 years for him to amass N400
billion.
“Yet, this
disinformation was lapped up by the public, he said.
The minister
said that similar imaginary huge sums of money had been credited to other
ministers.
9. I don’t
have $1.2bn in any account – Lai Mohammed declares
He condemned
the ugly trend by opposition, who were inventing the fake and malicious stories
using bloggers and some online media to malign government officials.
According to
him, the intention of the perpetrators and carriers of the reports are to
distract the government to lose focus, but it will not fall to their antics.
The minister
said that Public Relations gave him the first break in life being the
profession he practiced after his graduation for over 40 years.
12. I don’t
have $1.2bn in any account – Lai Mohammed declares
Mohammed, a
Fellow of the Institute said that the theme of the conference was apt and
called on NIPR members to be proactive in the discharge of their duties.
“You must
neither be intimidated, cowed nor be overwhelmed by the cynics, you must set
your own agenda and daily review such with a view to improving on them.
“You must
never lose touch with your traditional constituents. You must understand the
tactics of the opposition, which is ambush and irrational,’’ he said.
15. I don’t
have $1.2bn in any account – Lai Mohammed declares
The minister
specifically tasked government information managers to equip themselves with
qualities such as integrity, courage, abnormal capacity for hard work,
ingenuity resourcefulness and ability to think out of the box.
President and
Chairman Governing Council of NIPR, Dr. Rotimi Oladele said the conference was
to deliberate on how the profession could be used to promote communication
values for development.
He underscored
the need for practitioners to showcase national values and present them to
global market.
18. I don’t
have $1.2bn in any account – Lai Mohammed declares
Oladele
commended the minister for the support given to the Institute and for creating
time to attend the event.
The minister
also inaugurated a new Governing Council for the Institute to run for two years
under the leadership of Oladele.
Some of the
members of the Council are, former Defence Spokesperson, retired Gen. Chris
Olukolade, former Director of Press and Protocol in the Ministry of Information
and Culture, Mr Peter Dama and his successor, Mr Timothy Oyedeji.
21. I don’t
have $1.2bn in any account – Lai Mohammed declares
Others are Mr.
Wale Adeniyi of Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Sule Yau a former Chief Press
Secretary to Kano State Government and Alhaja Bola Osifeso.
10 members of
NIPR were inducted to Fellowship of the Institute. (NAN)
24. I don’t
have $1.2bn in any account – Lai Mohammed declares
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