The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s foreign trips since he assumed office were critical to the implementation of his administration key policies of enhancing security, jump-starting the economy, creating jobs and
fighting corruption.
Muhammed said this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.
He argued against the position of some individuals who believe that the President was merely wasting the nation’s time and money on his frequent trips abroad.
According to the minister, the trips have been anything but frivolous, and that they have started yielding fruits in terms of turning the tide in the fight against the insurgents who have been most active in the North-east, attracting investments in the range of billions of dollars, and securing global
support for the administration’s anti-corruption fight.
”Nigerians, whether in the ruling or the opposition parties, have a right to ask questions about the activities of their President, but it is absolutely important that they do so from an informed, rather than partisan or sensational, standpoint,” he said.
The Minister explained that most of the President’s trips – to Nigeria’s neighbouring countries of Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, as well as to Germany, the US, France and the UN – were devoted to rallying regional and global support for the war against terrorism.
”He was in Germany at the invitation of the G7 to solicit support from the Industrialized Nations for the war against terrorism. No one who has witnessed the killings and maiming in the past seven years by Boko Haram will call such trips frivolous. After all, the security and welfare of the citizens are the reason for the existence of any government.
”The President’s visit to South Africa was to attend the regular summit of the African Union; the trip to Ghana was aimed at fostering better relations with a brotherly country; the trip to India was for the India-Africa summit that provided the opportunity to explore ways of enhancing Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) from Indian investors, while the trip to Iran was to attend the forum of Gas Exporting Countries, a veritable platform for discussing how to better harness Nigeria’s abundant gas resources for industrial/domestic consumption and export, at a time of dwindling oil prices.
”The President also travelled to Malta to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, from where he travelled to Paris for the UN Conference on Climate Change. The President’s second trip to South Africa since assuming office is for the China-Africa forum. On the few
occasions that the President has embarked on a State Visit, he has tied that to an agenda that will further the quest for support for the war against terror and the efforts to enhance FDIs, thus stimulating economic growth and creating jobs,” the Minister said.
He said that apart from rallying global support for the country’s wars on terror and graft or seeking foreign investments, it is important that Nigeria leverages on President Buhari’s brand, a high integrity quotient and an embodiment of committed and dedicated leadership, to further Nigeria’s relevance and visibility on the global stage.
”President Buhari is well respected on the global stage for his high integrity, his transparency, his patriotism and his purposeful leadership. It is important to leverage this respect in such a way that Nigeria can become a major player, either in the realms of economy or global diplomacy,” the Minister said.
He said the President had embarked on the trips under a very stringent budget, cutting his delegations to numbers far below what his predecessors used to travel with, while even the trimmed entourage had received reduced allowances on the occasions that the host governments
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With naira now standing at #240 to $1, Boko haram incessant attacks, fuel scarcity for unusually 3 months, selective anti- corruption crusade, inflation and unemployment rate on the rise, economic standstill, near dead social and infrastructural facilities and many more... I think Mr lai is not a lair. The trips are really paying off. But as events are unfolding, we are watching.
ReplyDeleteLai pls loud it! They can't hear you at the back.
ReplyDeleteStupid God forsaken people.. .
ReplyDeleteWe are watching not to be a wailing waillers
ReplyDeleteMost of our public officers just open their mouth and talk even when they know what they are saying does not make sense
ReplyDeleteMr Liar Mohammed and one of de result is to sack Govt Workers and or reduce deir pay When only ur salary can pay 50 civil servants Govt of Liars for de liars by de liars....We ar watching...
ReplyDeleteMinister of lies and heavy propaganda.....You are still blowing your lies abi ??? Number one lier in the whole world.....Old Man that drink lies like water
ReplyDeleteThe reason why the APC government chose to put you there as minister of information is based on your performance as the spokesman of the party that has the highest record of lies and propaganda.
ReplyDeletePlease you have succeeded in winning the election with lies,I beg you not to rule us with lies. What I spent on fuel both for my car and generator last month only is more than my two months salary,how come you're telling us about results.
How many people has Boko haram killed in the past six months,compare that with that of a year before that.
It is too bad for you to continue calling us fools. I think you guys need that change more than us.