A human rights organization in Nigeria, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has cautioned the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Muhammed to stop lying to the people of the country at home and abroad over weapons purchase for Nigeria Military to combat insurgency by previous administration, saying that playing politics with the fight against the deadly insurgent group, Boko Haram would not help the country to win the deadly war.
The rights group also insisted that it has become habitual character of the former spokesperson of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the land to lie about the issues of national importance of this nature since he came on board as mouth piece of the present administration of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), urging Mr. Muhammed to stop living as spokesperson of opposition political party but as a government official that has responsibilities to the people of the country and he should the whole Nigeria as his constituency.
Reacting to the recent position of the Nigeria Military denied the claim of Mr. Mohammed that military troops were combating Boko Haram insurgents in the North-Eastern part of the country with substandard weapons purchased by the Jonathan’s administration.
While commenting to the issue through a signed statement by the Executive Chairman of CHRSJ, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman, which a copy was made available to newsmen in Lagos yesterday (Monday), advised the Minister to see the fight against Boko Haram insurgency as a join responsibility of every Nigerian because it involves the lives of innocent fellow citizens, noting that it would not be augur well for any Nigerian to be playing politics with the mind boggling issue of Boko Haram insurgency, stressing that the total support should be given to Military at this time and not to distract them by trivializing the issue of weapon used for the serious fight.
Comrade Sulaiman who maintained that all hands should be on deck if Nigeria was ready to wipe out the insurgency from the country out rightly by brainstorming by well meaning Nigerians without minding religious, political parties, race or gender affinity on how to resolve this heart bleeding problem, calling on Nigerians, not to see Boko Haram problem as only problem of Federal Government alone.
His words: “The issue of Boko Haram has become joint responsibility of every Nigerian without religious, political parties, region, race and gender affinity, it is an issue that call for the action from both government and governed on how to resolve. The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Muhammed should stop lying or playing politics about it. The comments on the issue of national importance of this nature by the government spokesperson should not be parochial or based on political interest or because we do not like the previous administration as government is a continuum. Mr. Lai Muhammed should allow the objectivity to be his watch words not political bitterness again because he is the image maker of the country before the countries of the world.
It would be recalled that the Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar dismissed the reports from the Minister of Information and Culture that soldiers fighting Boko Haram were poorly equipped recently on a programme on the Africa Independent Television (AIT),adding that Military was okay with equipment they were using for the fight against terrorism in Nigeria.
CHRSJ boss then urged the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Muhaamed to learn on how to speak the truth always on government activities as fabrication of lies or campaign of calumnies would not help the country to put behind the mirage of problems facing the nation presently, adding that the expectations of the Nigeria people from the present government of Muhammadu Buhari were high and only the truth and justice could build the country.
