FG to launch new campaign against indiscipline, says Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that government is in the process of launching a massive, nationwide campaign, tagged: “Change Begins With Me,” which is a rejuvenated War Against Indiscipline (WAI). The essence of the campaign, he said, would be to make Nigerians to realise that the change they so much desire would start with them.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to Rutam House, the corporate headquarters of The Guardian in Lagos yesterday, he said that many people have approached the government over what they considered the distorted values in our society. They are worried about the erosion of values, widespread indiscipline, dwindling integrity, poor attitude to work, etc.

“They say it is time for the government to launch another War Against Indiscipline, WAI. If the Danfo driver will stop drinking paraga before hitting the road, if the patent medicine store operator will stop selling fake drugs, if the average worker will carry out his or her duties diligently, our society will be a better place.”

He said that to herald this campaign, the ministry plans to hold a Summit on National Rebirth, Values and Ethics in July.Mohammed also used the occasion to speak on the first year anniversary of the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, which is fast approaching.

“Our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), campaigned on three broad areas: To tackle insecurity, fight corruption and revive the economy.”

According to him on the fight against insecurity, which he described as the most undoubtedly biggest challenge that the Buhari’s administration faced upon its assumption of office on May 29, 2015, it has made a rare feat by subduing Boko Haram, making it impossible for the group to carry out any more spectacular attacks as it did in the past.

“Some will argue that the insurgents are still carrying out sporadic suicide bombings and other attacks, even though they are now very few. Well, our answer to that is that by its very nature, no insurgency ends suddenly.”

He stressed that the fight against insurgency is not a conventional warfare. On the fight against corruption, he said the government had raised the bar and also succeeded in making it a topical issue in the country.

He admitted that the economy issue poses a great challenge to Buhari’s administration, especially with a drastic fall in the price of crude oil, which is the country’s main foreign exchange earner. He said that the government was going to use the 2016 budget to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.

“We plan to do this through six social intervention areas that will greatly impact on the economy as well as on lives: 500,000 graduates are to be employed and trained as teachers, 370,000 non-graduates (artisans, technicians) to be trained and employed; one million people (farmers, market women, etc) to be granted loans to set up small businesses; Conditional Cash Transfer to be made to the most vulnerable people (not unemployed graduates); School Feeding targeting 4.5 million school children and Bursaries/Scholarships for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students.”
He described the visit as a continuation of his tour of the media establishments in the country.