I have known Alhaji Lai Mohammed for a very long time as a good Writer, Public Commentator, and dogged opposition fighter, but he is a poor Student of Public Relation Strategist.
Lai Mohammed’s outburst today, against CNN, over the reputable international media organisation’s exclusive report on the alleged shooting of unarmed EndSARS protesters singing Nigeria’s National Anthem at the Lekki toll gate, confirmed the fact that the Honourable Minister of Information committed public relations sommersault.
In public relations, attack is never the best form of defence, especially for a government that is known for outright abuse of human rights. Lai Mohammed discrediting CNN’s report without providing any shred of evidence, is really a great disservice to this nation.
Lai Mohammed while briefing Reporters in Abuja, described CNN’s report on the Lekki toll gate shooting as “irresponsible journalism”. He even went further to call for the sanction of the global media outfit.
What is news? If Lai Mohammed who studied Law, had ever sat in Journalism 101 class, he will know that the classical definition of news is “Reporting what someone or somebody somewhere is hiding, and the rest is advertising”. CNN’s exclusive report has brought to the fore, the hidden things the government is trying to hide on the Lekki toll gate shooting.
For me, Lai Mohammed’s outburst was “irrational and unwarranted”. I hereby stand by HURIWA on this issue.
It is shameful that rather than applaud and commend the CNN for its deployment of the highest quality of technology to ascertain what exactly took place on October 20, at Lekki toll gate, Lagos State, a cabinet level Minister in Nigeria paid by the public, is rather engaging in warfare against the public.
What took place today as Press Conference by the Minister, had nothing informative and cultural about it. The reason for saying this, is that the Minister is promoting misinformation, by fighting qualitative dissemination of information, as was done by CNN.
One would have expected that a government that is working to promote the welfare of the Nigerian people, should be exceedingly happy that the CNN has helped us to expose the hidden information, by the characters that unleashed violence on the people at the Lekki.
The characters that carried out the attacks against the Nigerian people on October 20, had actually carried out an act of active sabotage, by removing the CCTV, so it was a State sponsored attack against the people, which was meant to be concealed, but luckily, CNN has used their superior scientific equipment to decode what exactly took place, and instead of the government to use this great information to reach a quick determination on how to deliver social justice, and then deal with those who killed peaceful protesters, the central government which focuses on irrelevance and deceit, has come out to attack The Truth.
The verbal attack against the CNN by Lai Muhammed, is evidence that the government knew what happened to the protesters on October 20, because only the guilty are afraid.
I will therefore, advise Lai Mohammed as a Spokesman of the government, to own up, apologise to Nigerians for the shooting, and deal with those responsible. I rest my case.
Favour Amako, a Youth Pastor, a Journalist, Social Commentator, writes from Abuja.