Elder statesman and Leader of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, Chief Edwin Clark, has called on the Federal Government to immediately commence the prosecution of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for allegedly deliberately disseminating falsehood against the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25, 2023 polls, Peter Obi, at home and abroad.
The former Federal Commissioner of Information made the demand in a statement he personally signed on Monday.
Clark said rather than unite the country, Mohammed has allegedly been making statements disuniting it and using the Broadcasting Commission, an agency under his ministry, as “constant weapon of intimidation and harassment of the press”.
He said a the spokesman of the Federal Government during the regime of General Yakubu Gowon, “whatever I said or did, could either make or mar the unity, peace and oneness of the country.
“That was my guiding principle.
“And without being immodest, I think it paid positively.
“Lai Mohammed, as his duty as Minister of Information entails, who ought to treat the media as the fourth estate of the realm, as it is done all over the world, in civilised places, has rather decided to wear the ‘oga’ toga.
“So, for me to see what Lai Mohammed is doing with the office today is disappointing.
“His recent sojourn to the United States of America (USA), on the issue of Interim National Government (ING), to damage the reputation of Mr. Peter Obi’s rising profile, to me, is an effort in futility, because Lai Mohammed did not base his accusations on any report or information given by any state agency, but on mere propaganda targeted at destroying the reputation of an innocent citizen.
“If I may continue further, why will the Minister of Information take more than usual interest in not only scandalizing and lying against Peter Obi but using his privileged position to circulate the same to the country and entire world?
“If we were to talk further about those who have held strong positions against the current political situation in the country; why has the Minister avoided taking notes of the views of other persons such as our respected elder statesman and colleague Chief Afe Babalola who stated thus as supported by Premium Times online news of April 18th, 2022;
“By April 2022, Nigeria was actually facing a crisis of all dimensions economically, insecurity, corruption, lack of direction.
“Because there was no courageous, competent Nigerian leader, and the question was, where do we go from here?”
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