Media critical to quelling insurgency, says Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the broadcast media has a critical role in helping government quell insurgency and militancy in parts of the country.

According to him, this was why government was putting so much effort and resources to achieving a more developed broadcast industry, as evident in the move towards digital broadcasting switchover.

The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Ayotunde Adesugba, spoke at the General Assembly of the Broadcast Organisations of Nigeria (BON) in Lagos yesterday.

He charged the media to be at the vanguard of anti-corruption by setting agenda to fight graft, indiscipline and nepotism.Lagos governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, who spoke while declaring open the Assembly, said his passion for the information platform was very high. A development he said accounted for the massive investment aimed at re-energising the broadcast stations in the state.

Ambode said: 
“I must confess here that as a governor, my passion for the platform is very high. This is because of my belief that the media and information machinery are the windows through which the world sees us and vice-versa.”

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, said his administration provided radio stations in the state with new transmitters and studios, while Lagos Television is currently undergoing a holistic overhauling of its non-digital equipment.