Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the propensity by naysayers to deliberately spread false information via the Social Media has negatively impacted on the federal government’s efforts to keep Nigerians informed of its activities.
”Everyday, this group of people deliberately distort our messages while also suffusing the atmosphere with their own version of
information,” the Minister said in a speech at a Colloquium organized
by the National Coalition of Apostolic Leaders in Lagos on Friday.
He said that in order to ensure that Nigerians get undiluted and
correct information, the government has resorted to taking its
messages directly to the people using the Town Hall Meeting format.
”What we have done is to counter them using what we call Town Hall
Meetings that allow us to speak with Nigerians directly, while also
getting the necessary feedback. We have held such Town Hall Meetings
here in Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Uyo, Enugu and Abuja, during which
Ministers interacted directly with a cross section of Nigerians.
Having realized its effectiveness, we have lined up more Town Hall
Meetings across the country,” Mohammed said.
He also said that in order to carry Nigerians along, the Federal
Government has embarked on sensitization campaigns on what it is doing
in its three broad priority areas – Tacking corruption, fighting
insurgency and revamping the economy to create jobs and wealth.
”We are aware that it is not just enough to do something, you must be
seen to be doing it. In other words, the activities of government are
as important as communicating them. That is why this Administration
places much premium on communicating with the people.
”Mixing the traditional means of communication with the modern ones,
we are reaching out to the people through radio, television,
newspapers and the all-powerful Social Media to keep them abreast of
developments in these three broad areas,” the Minister said.
He said the government is also aware that feedback is one of the
essential elements of good communication, adding: ”It is not enough
for a government to talk to the people, the government must also hear
from them.”
Mohammed thanked the Nigeria Coalition of Apostolic Leaders for
organizing the State of the Nation Colloquium, but urged them to
sustain it.
”It is impressive, and indeed highly commendable, that rather than
sit back and complain endlessly, thus becoming a part of the problem,
the Nigeria Coalition of Apostolic Leaders has opted to be a part of
the solution. It is however important that this Colloquium be
sustained,” he said.
