The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said naysayers had taken to social media and spending huge amounts of money to distort the situation in Nigeria.
The Minister stated this at a mini town hall meeting he organised for members of staff of the Nigerian Embassy in Berlin, Germany and a cross-section of Nigerians residing in the European country.
Mohammed was in Berlin to attend a meeting of African Tourism Ministers on the sidelines of the International Travel Trade Fair in the German capital.
A statement issued on the mini town hall meeting in Berlin was made available to newsmen in Abuja by Segun Adeyemi, the Special Adviser to the minister.
The minister said the naysayers, who were hoping to override the string of achievements by the present administration in the country, were spending huge amounts of money to spread fake news about Nigeria.
Mohammed said: “Contrary to the fake news being peddled in the Social Media by the naysayers, President Muhammadu Buhari is putting Nigeria back on its feet.
“That is why Nigerians at home and abroad must ensure they have access to authentic information.
“One way is to download the FGNiAPP on their hand-held devices. It is free.
“The economy is on a steady growth, as attested to be by the latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics:
“The economy attracted 12.2 billion dollars in foreign investments in 2017, up from $5.38 billion in 2016.
“That represents 138 per cent increase.
“The economy further consolidated its recovery from recession with GDP growing by 1.92 per cent in Q4 2017, compared to 1.40 per cent in Q3 2017 and a contraction of -1.73 per cent in Q4 2016;.
“This means the economy ended 2017 with a growth of 0.82 per cent compared to a
contraction of -1.58 per cent in 2016.
“GDP growth in Q4 2017 was driven by growth in crop production, crude production and natural gas, metal ores, construction, transportation and storage, trade, electricity and gas production.
“These are indications that the administration’s diversification effort is working.”
Mohammed blamed the incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen on environmental rather than ethnic or religious issues.
He noted that contrary to the narrative being pushed in certain quarters that gave ethnic and religious coloration to the clashes, they were caused by purely environmental issues.
Mohammed said whereas Nigeria’s population in 1963 was about 48 million, “it is now about 180 million with the country’s land mass remaining the same”.
Mohammed, who assured of the Federal Government’s commitment to finding lasting solution to the clashes, noted that the establishment of ranches was one sure way of reducing such clashes.
He, however, said in resolving the crisis, both the farmers and the herders must be willing to shift slightly from their positions grounded in their way of life over centuries.
For his part, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Alhaji Yusuf Tuggar, commended the patriotism and dedication of the Nigerians in Diaspora, especially those in Germany.
Tuggar said: “There is a burgeoning Nigerian community (in Germany), committed to
the prosperity of Nigeria.
“They are well in tune with the policies of the Nigerian government and they are accomplished men and women and worthy ambassadors.”
Four killed, 16 injured as Jeep owner driving against traffic rams into commercial bus
The incident happened at about 6:49am on Sunday
No fewer than four persons have been confirmed dead when the owner of a Lexus Jeep driving against traffic in the Lekki area of Lagos State rammed into a fully loaded commercial bus.
The incident happened at about 6:49am on Sunday.
According to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, at the 1st Gate inward Oriental Hotel along Lekki-Epe Expressway.
According to the General Manager of LASEMA, Tiamiyu Adesina, investigation carried out by the Agency’s Response Team on getting to the scene of the incident revealed that a Lexus Jeep GX470, with registration number KJA 615 DF, plying one way, ran into a commercial bus, with registration number KRE 302 XA, that was just cleared by the ticketing officers at the toll gate.
Those that died were three adult male and an adult female.
Sixteen others, made up of four adult female and 12 adult male, were severely injured.
The driver of the Jeep was transported to the General Hospital at Marina.
The LASEMA Response Team alongside Lagos State Ambulance Service, Rapid Response Squad of the Nigeria Police Force, State Environmental Monitoring Unit and Lekki Concession Company were responders present at the scene of the incident.
Emergency and security operatives were said to have been involved in traffic management measures to forestall the occurrence of a secondary accident, crowd control, giving medical care to the casualties and subsequently moved them down to the General Hospital at Marina and Trauma Centre at Toll Gate for further treatments.
The two adult male who died at the scene were handed over to SEHMU, while the remaining two an adult male and an adult female were later confirmed dead.
Adesina said the accidented vehicles were recovered off the road with the aid of the Agency’s light tow truck and subsequently handed over to LCC officials, who moved them down to Maroko Police Station.
The General Manager advised motorists to always endeavour to drive with caution when driving on highways, abstain from drinking alcohol before driving, as well to ensure road worthiness of vehicles before embarking on journeys to avoid unnecessary loss of lives
He said this particular incident will be investigated by security operatives, while the State Government will also ensures prosecution of the culprit to serve as deterrence of errant motorists.
