The Hon. Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Tuesday visited the corporate officers of the Leadership Newspaper in Abuja, his first visit to any media organization since assuming office on 21 Aug. 2019.
”This newspaper may not have always been on our side on all issues, and we really don’t expect the paper to be, but it has shown that it can be a trusted partner in the efforts to move Nigeria to the Next Level. For example,” the Minister said during the visit.
”Leadership Newspaper is one of our media partners in our national campaign against fake news, as well as in many of our other campaigns and activities. For this, we thank the management and staff of this newspaper, and we look forward to more cooperation in the months ahead,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed used the opportunity of this visit to appeal to the media in general, and Leadership newspaper in particular, to continue to be patriotic and professional in their reportage on the issue of the $9.6 billion arbitration award to the Irish company Process and Industrial Development (P&ID), over the 20-year gas supply botched contract.
”Though some media outfits have clearly thrown overboard professionalism in their reporting, I make bold to say that largely, the Nigerian media has exhibited fairness and objectivity in reporting the issue. I commend this media for this,” he said.
The Minister reassured Nigerians that the country would not lose any of its assets to P&ID, despite the ‘grandstanding’ by the Irish company that it has started compiling a list of the nation’s assets to seize.
