Be patient, the pain will soon be over, Lai tells Nigerians

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said regardless of the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari rode to power with the mantra of change, that change cannot be possible without discomfort.

This is as he commended Nigerians for their resilience despite the tough times as a result of the present economic recession in the country, promising that the government remains focused on implementing realistic policies that will reverse the trend.

This was contained in a press statement released by Segun Adeyemi, Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and Culture.

According to the statement, the minister stated this in Lagos on Monday in his keynote address at the 4th Commonwealth Public Relations Congress.

“We are not unaware of the harsh effects of the recession on the citizens. We share in their pains and we make no excuses as we continue to work round the clock to ensure that this tough time is quickly brought to an end. The good news is that the prognosis for a quick end to the recession is encouraging.

“As the saying goes, the recession is a bend in the road, not the end of the road. The challenge for us as a government is to turn the bend, and we are doing just that,” he said.

“While the Buhari Administration rode to power on the crest of change, there can be no change without discomforts. With persistence on the part of the government and perseverance on the part of the people, there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel,” part of the statement read.

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The minister said the government is investing massively in infrastructural development: roads, railways, power etc, and creating jobs in the process, as part of efforts to pull the country out of recession.

According to him, 200,000 of the 500,000 jobs promised under the N-Power Volunteers Programme have already been filled, and that those selected will start work on December 1, 2016. He added that alternative funding of the Oil and Gas Industry Joint Ventures, which has been approved by the Federal Executive Council will also impact positively on the economy.

Speaking on the theme of the congress ‘’Strategic Management of Reputation Risk in an Interdependent World,” Alhaji Mohammed outlined some of the increasing challenges confronting Public Relations Managers, especially the impact of the Social Media which has democratised the means of gathering and disseminating information, and urged participants to come up with innovative ways to surmount the challenges.
By Ebere Ndukwu …

 

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