BY: SA'ADU BINKOLA
The Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that “security of the
nation is not the responsibility of Security Agencies alone but a collective
responsibility of all sundry”.
The Minister made this
assertion in a keynote address; he delivered at the 47th National
Council on Information Meeting in Kaduna, Kaduna State. He said fake news and
hate speech whether at local government level or national level have the
potential to threaten the peace, security and corporate existence of the
country. He appealed to the media to thoroughly verify the credibility of news
materials before going to press.
The Minister noted that
internet platforms such as FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE, GOOGLE TWITTER AND INSTERGRAM are
vital components of the 21st century communication and civic
discourse. He said fake news and hate speech entrench social, religious,
political and cultural division, adding that, any misguided speech or fake news
could spark reactions and lead to massive destruction of lives and properties.
He reminded peddlers that no nation develops in a state of anarchy which is why
information stakeholders must play a key role in effectively managing the
sector.
He further said “the
importance of proper management of information in Nigeria cannot be
overemphasized as Nigeria is multi ethnic and multi religious country and it is
becoming more and more complex as the global community is currently being driven
by digital communication.
Alh. Lai Mohammed said
the biggest challenge that can consume the world today is fake news and hate
speech, adding that, if not curtailed their consequences might be worse than
all the crises that the world had ever witnessed.
In his welcome address,
the Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir Ahmed El-rufai welcomes delegates for
coming to Kaduna for the 47th meeting of the National Council on
Information.
He expressed confidence
that the three day meeting would yield the desired result on how the media
managers could tackle the menace of fake news and hate speech.
In a communiqué issued
at the end of the meeting the National Council on Information attended by over
250 delegates had considered a number of memorandums. All the three memorandum submitted
by the Adamawa State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ahmad
I. Sajoh have been approved. The Council has given Gombe State government hosting
rite of next meeting at a date to be determined later.
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