By Joseph Erunke, Abuja\u00a0<\/p>\n
Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Thursday pulled back the curtain on some of the most controversial moments of the Buhari administration, declaring that \u201cheadlines can be more powerful than facts\u201d in shaping public perception of governance in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
Speaking at Rovingheights Bookshop in Abuja during a reading of his recently released memoir, \u201cMedia Moments That Define An Administration\u201d, the former spokesman reflected on what he described as the \u201ccomplexities of governing Nigeria in the age of instant headlines and social media hysteria.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before a packed audience of media professionals, political associates and curious readers, Mohammed said three major episodes defined his experience as government\u2019s chief communicator: changing the narrative on Boko Haram, countering opposition claims through the administration\u2019s scorecard strategy, and managing the communication crisis during the #EndSARS protests and the eventual suspension of Twitter.<\/p>\n
Recounting his early days in office in November 2015, Mohammed said he was stunned by what he termed the disconnect between military gains against Boko Haram and the dominant narrative suggesting government inaction.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite the efforts of the military to reclaim territories, the narrative,both locally and internationally,was that the government was doing nothing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Determined to counter what he called misinformation with firsthand evidence, Mohammed led a delegation of 40 local and international journalists to Maiduguri and subsequently to Konduga, Kaori and Bama,areas recently reclaimed from insurgents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I entered Bama on December 5, 2015, I thought I was in Afghanistan. Road signs were in Arabic. Boko Haram had deposed emirs and were collecting taxes. That visit brought me face-to-face with the reality of war and the sacrifices of our soldiers,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n
Though journalists independently reported the military\u2019s successes, Mohammed said skepticism persisted, with some critics accusing the government of \u201cpackaging\u201d the story.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told one governor who challenged me: \u2018I have been there. You go too. Come back and tell Nigerians what you saw.\u2019 That ended the debate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also narrated how he had to secure presidential approval,while President Muhammadu Buhari was abroad,before embarking on the trip, a moment he described as his \u201cfirst lesson in how complex governance can be.\u201d<\/p>\n
The post Lai Mohammed opens up on Boko Haram, #EndSARS, Twitter Ban at book reading appeared first on Vanguard News.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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