The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has demanded a retraction and an apology from an online newspaper which published that he had contracted the dreaded COVID-19 virus and is currently receiving treatment in isolation.
In a statement issued Sunday and made available to the press by the Special Assistant to the President on Media, Segun Adeyemi, Alhaji Mohammed countered that he did not contract COVID-19 and therefore could not have been in isolation receiving treatment as reported by the online title.
The Minister lamented that the fake report had caused his person some embarrassment, especially in a season of joy, hence, demanded a retraction of the story and apology from the newspaper in the best tradition of journalism.
Mohammed narrated that he was at the Federal Executive Council meeting last week Wednesday after an extraordinary FEC meeting on Thursday, as well as witnessed the swearing-in of the new Minister of State for Works and Housing on Friday.
The statement said: “All these events took place at the Villa, where the correspondents of many media organizations are deployed.
“In fact, the Minister coordinated the post-FEC press briefing on Wednesday and Thursday.
“Could he have done this from the imaginary isolation centre where he was consigned by a mischievous reporter?
“As a member of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, the Minister has the added responsibility of leading by example.
“He would not have hesitated to publicly announce his COVID-19 status if indeed he has contracted the virus.
“After all, he is not only fully vaccinated; he has also taken the booster shot, a situation that offers him different layers of protection even if he contracts the virus.
“For those who contract the virus, they deserve our empathy and prayers, not stigmatization.”
Alhaji Mohammed pointed out that the controversial report highlighted the uphill task the government was facing in the campaign to stamp out fake news and misinformation in the country.
The Minister stressed: “A journalism mantra says ‘when in doubt, leave it out’.
“Also embedded in the code of ethics for journalists are the basic principles of truthfulness and accuracy, among others.”
He therefore admonished the media to desist from doing itself a great disservice by “making exclusive news out of beer parlor gist”.