A former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has disclosed that he almost resigned his appointment during the toughest moment of the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mohammed stated this on Wednesday during the presentation of his book titled: “Headlines & Soundbites: Media Moments That Defined an Administration,” at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua in Abuja.
Speaking on the uniqueness of the book, Mohammed said, “Readers of the book will gain rare insights into, among other things: The toughest decision I took as Minister. The most difficult moment of my tenure, a moment when I almost resigned.”
The former minister said he did not write the book to defend the legacy of President Buhari, saying that the truth needs no defence.
He said Africans must tell their own stories to avoid distortion, adding that “if we do not tell our stories, someone else will, and they will tell it to suit their purpose.
“My uncommon access to government decision-making over a long stretch of time places a responsibility on me to preserve an accurate record, correct long-standing misconceptions and provide clarity where necessary”
It also showed; “How we restored the long-lost glory of the National Theatre, our contribution to stopping P&ID from defrauding Nigeria of $9.6 billion, how Nigeria achieved the largest repatriation of stolen artefacts in the world, what we did to counter the opposition’s false narrative on the recovery of territories from Boko Haram shortly after we assumed office and how we engaged the Bring Back Our Girls Movement, whose members travelled with us to Yola and flew search sorties on Nigerian Air Force planes.”
In his remarks at the event, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, lauded Lai Mohammed for his contribution to nation building, saying his shoes are too big to fill.
He added that Lai Mohammed is the most criticized minister under the Buhari’s administration because of his role of defending government policies.
He said: “Lai Mohammed’s shoes are very big to fill for so many reasons. Number one, he has been in public service for a very long time. He was once an opposition spokesperson for over 10 years. He is also the longest serving minister of information in this country.
“Speaking on behalf of the government is a very difficult role. Lai Mohammed is the most criticised member of that cabinet. Navigating through some thorny issues requires some skills. What I try to do is to avoid some of the potholes to the extent that some people say this man is not talking like Lai Mohammed, they said Lai Mohammed has gone with the microphone.
The Information Minister further said, “There two things that Alhaji Lai Mohammed did that stood him out; He brought the International Press Institute to Nigeria for the first time ever. His tenure also witnessed the beginning of the bid to host the UNESCO category 2 media and information literacy institute”
