*Says no nation folds its arms and allows fake news collapse its govt
*We have investigated them and will soon move against them
*Puts rights groups on notice as complaints won’t matter
*No idea on lockdown extension
*Health Minister speaks on cases and Chinese doctors
The Nigeria’s Federal Government has declared that the cups of purveyors of Fake News in the country are already full as State will move against them soonest.
This declaration was made on Friday by the nation’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, during the periodic briefing of the Presidential Task Force Against COVID-19 held in Abuja.
The Minister told the audience during the briefing that was also broadcast live on some national spread television stations that the government knows why people who carry fake news against it are doing so, adding that despite that since middle of first term of the Muhammadu Buhari administration when joint action against it was launched as a core programme of government, fake news has refused to die.
He said they are publishing and carrying fake news to attack the integrity of the government so that it will be seen like it does nothing.
“I can tell you that for the fact that fake news has refused to die is to say, to them who carry it, 2019 elections are not yet over,” Alhaji Lai Mohammed said.
He cited some of the painful elements of fake news in recent times which now require that the time to rise to the destructive behaviour of some Nigerians against Nigeria is now.
“To say that I said N100 billion has been given to Nigerians and that so there is no hunger in the land is to incite the public against me and the government.
“The other one, that the DG of NCDC has spent N1 billion on sms. They know that the DG NCDC is vital and central to this fight against COVID-19 and so they want to use this fake news to destroy the anti-coronavirus effort of the Nigerian government.
“But what I will tell you is that when we sit back and check the proponents of these fake news, we found out that they are people who have pathological hatred for this government. And let me tell the humanitarian workers and human rights people among us that there is no government anywhere in the world, which will fold its arms and allow fake news to destroy its government.
“And I can share it with you here that we are investigating the websites being used and writers or media publishing these fake news to our Nigerian public and we know that some of them are doing these things from abroad. We can assure by the time we are ready to act against them, nobody will be able to complain,” the Information Minister said.
No idea on lockdown extension
Others in attendance during the briefing were Chairman Presidential Task Force Against COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, Minister of Health, Prof. Osagie Ehanire and Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, among others.
SGF Mustapha made some clarifications about perceptions of people about levels of healthcare delivery system in the country against the lumping of same thereby people in some cases blaming Federal Government what statutorily should be responsibility of states or local governments.
He said Federal Government does not built General Hospital and so that it was the responsibility of the state government and also made it clear that health centre is the responsibility of local government, even as he bemoaned that situation where over 10,000 health centres across the country are not in good shape.
On extension of lockdown against coronavirus, the SGF said, “I cannot speculate on whether or not lockdown will be extended. It is for Mr. President to decide not me. I can only present situation of things to the President considering global developments and it is for him to decide what he wants to happen and he too has his own considerations to make,” he said.
Health Minister speaks on cases and Chinese doctors
Speaking at the briefing, the Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Prof. Osagie Ehanire, gave updates about confirmed cases of the Coronavirus disease saying currently as at Friday evening they stood at 288.
He however said, despite whatever anything thought wrongly about activities of government towards stopping the disease that the fact that it jumped to 288 could still be said that the country’s latest case was not of great concern as government was not resting and would not rest on its oars in ensuring that the disease was finally defeated.
Answering questions the minister said: “The team from China are experts but part of the arrangement we had with them was that, first of all they are quarantined and the NCDC went there to ascertain that they are actually quarantined. Whether they already treating Nigerians I doubt.”
He said the major interest of government was to see the scientific approach by which they solved the problem in their own country. “Because before you embark on handling problems of this nature you find out how people that have the experience did it. They are preparing to help us to benefit from what they know and whatever medicines they brought will be certified by NAFDAC before we use them. But I must tell you that what they brought to us is gift and we must appreciate them.”
No N1b sms spent anywhere – NCDC DG
In the meantime, the Director General, NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu said: “We have continued to debunk the story and move on with our job. But I will I will tell you that we have not spent a single kobo on sms in NCDC. In fact we have not spent anything on our own. Expenses we have incurred on sms so far was iin fact paid for by private contributors. And, as demanded by Mr. President, we will give account for every kobo we spend.
