Despite complaints Lai says Buhari govt is first in human rights protection

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that no government in Nigeria’s history has protected human rights of Nigerians as the present administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The statement by the minister who recently declared that he does not tell lies, is coming at a time Amnesty International and a number of Nigerians are accusing the present government of abuse of human rights in clamping down on protesters, disobeying court orders and the manner it has been carrying out its anti-corruption crusade.

However, Lai Mohammed who spoke in Abuja on Monday at the commissioning of the Human Rights Radio said, “I want to say this without any equivocation that the protection of human rights is the first responsibility of any government and this government in particular has done more than anybody to protect the collective human rights of Nigerians.”

The minister’s position was made available to newsmen in a statement by his Special Assistant, Segun Adeyemi.

To buttress his argument the minister said, “I am going to prove this. The greatest assault to our collective human rights are those people who have stolen our money; those people who have pocketed money meant for roads, power, water, Medicare. Those are the people who have assaulted our collective human rights; those are the people who have reduced Nigerians to nothingness. Those are the people who have humiliated this country and this is why this government’s anti-corruption war must be supported by all and sundry.”

He then assured that the Federal Government will intensify efforts on its war against corruption in order to make sure that all those who abused the collective human rights of Nigerians through mindless looting of the treasury are brought to book.

According to him, the current economic hardship has its root in the reckless looting of the treasury by public officials, and that the Buhari’s government is doing everything possible to fix the economy and make Nigerians happy.

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“No economy in the world can survive this mindless looting. If every one of us that has access to power should steal $10million, how can the Naira ever be strong? If we steal over $136million, how can our roads be in good order or how can we have power?” he asked.

The minister, however, expressed delight that the introduction of the Whistle-blower policy by the present government is helping to expose corrupt officials and the recovery of billions of naira in stolen funds.

Lai Mohammed had at the weekend claimed that within two months of the declaration of Whistle-blower policy, that government has been able to recover $160million and N8billion through the policy.

 

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