‘Nigerians in Diaspora are peddling fake narratives about the country’ – Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed has said the allegations of political marginalisation against the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration are not true.

Mohammed, who stated this when he received members of Nigerians in the Diaspora Organization (in the United Kingdom) in Abuja, on Tuesday, also refuted allegations of religious persecution and human rights abuses against the Federal Government.

He accused some Nigerians in diaspora of platforms peddling fake news and misinformation about Nigeria.

He urged NIDO to be wary of those bent on painting Nigeria bad in the comity of nations, especially in the area of insecurity.

The minister also implored the organisation to leverage its contacts in government circles, parliamentary groups and global think-tanks in world capitals to help change the narrative and sweep the carpet off the feet of secessionist groups, insurgents and anarchists bent on pushing false narratives to portray Nigeria in bad light.

“It is in recognition of the relevance of Nigerians in Diaspora that the secessionist groups that are campaigning around the world for their causes have identified and are effectively using some of them (Nigerians in Diaspora) to propagate their fake narratives about the country, in addition to relying on their financial contributions to fund their nefarious activities. This is disheartening,” he said.

“Instead of contributing their own quota to these efforts, all you hear from a section of Nigerians in the Diaspora and their allies back home are fake narratives and untrue allegations of religious persecution, political marginalisation, human rights abuses, etc. These are baseless and false.”

“As an organised and well connected group, I implore NIDO to leverage its contacts in government circles, parliamentary groups and global think-tanks in world capitals to help change the narrative and sweep the carpet off the feet of secessionist groups, insurgents and anarchists who are bent on pushing false narratives to portray Nigeria in bad light. I have no doubt that you will take this call seriously and do everything in your power to change the narrative for the better.”

He said the Ministry of Information under him was working hard through re-engineering and ramping diplomatic efforts to counter and reverse some of the narratives against the country and also to counter pervasive anti-government propaganda.