Speech by the Hon Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at the 2019 edition of the Annual Ramadan Lecture held at Oro, Kwara State, on Saturday, 18 May 2019
PROTOCOL
Permit me to formally welcome His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kebbi, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, members of his entourage and indeed all of us here to this 12th annual Ramadan Lecture here in my hometown of Oro.
2. I thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedule to be here with us today.
3. This is the Holy month of Ramadan, and Muslim Faithful all over the world observe it with fasting, prayers, self-purification, renewed focus on religion and sense of community.
4. It is therefore appropriate to use this occasion to call on all Nigerians to pray for our dear country, to pray for peace and unity. I make this request against the background of those who are daily plotting to exploit our national fault lines of religion and ethnicity, those who masquerade as democrats but can’t take electoral defeat, those who will not hesitate to collude with anti-democratic forces and deadenders to fan the embers of violence in the country and those who have elevated their personal ambition over and above our survival as a nation.
5. As you are aware, a few days ago we raised the alarm that either by themselves or via their proxies, the PDP and it’s presidential candidate are doing everything possible to sabotage the
Buhari Administration, generally overheat the polity and make Nigeria
seemingly ungovernable. Of course you are aware of similar alarms that have been raised by the police, the military and the DSS.
6. Since our intervention, pseudo and partisan analysts have teamed up with the spokesmen for the main opposition party and its presidential candidate to either exhibit their ignorance or to engage in red herring and name calling. We are neither distracted nor dissuaded.
7. Our interventions are based on credible evidence, and no government with the kind of evidence that we have, of plans to subvert the power of the state, attack the nation’s economic live wire and generally unleash mayhem on the polity, will keep quiet. The security agencies are all alert to their responsibilities and will not sit by and allow anyone to reverse the gains of our democracy under any guise.
8. I want to end my speech by thanking all Nigerians for their support and prayers for the Buhari Administration, and to urge them not to relent, especially in the run up to the May 29th inauguration of Mr President.
9. Once again, Your Excellency, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for coming to the 12th edition of our annual Ramadan talk. I pray that Allah will take you back safely to your destinations.
