Nigeria’s Information Minister boycotts anti-graft campaign launch, ‘Not In My Country’

Despite efforts of Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption fight in the country, his own Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed Tuesday boycotted a citizen-led anti-corruption campaign with the theme, “Not In My Country”.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Information

Sources told NEWSVERGE that the convener, Akin Fadeyi, a communication strategist, wrote the minister about the project and made adjustment to the programme before the date was agreed, but later discovered through the body language of the minister that he is not interested in the campaign.

This, according to the source, forced the convener to approach the Minster of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who later sent the head of media in the ministry of health, Mrs. Boade Akintola, to represent him.

Although, every attempt to reach Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information proved as his mobile rang but no response.

Meanwhile, an inside source in the Nigerian Government disclosed that not all appointees working with the President is in support of his (Buhari) war against corruption.

“Not everyone working in President Buhari’s government supports his ideology to crush corruption but they are there because they just want to be there for personal interests.

“Many are pretenders,” our source said.

Although, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, Managing Director/ Editor-In-Chief, Vanguard Newspapers, lauded the initiative and said it should complement President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption fight.

He acknowledge that there may be opposition but encouraged the campaigner and his team not to mind but keep forging ahead.

Adefaye maintained that “Not in My Country” project should start from the citizen voting the right leaders but lamented on the years Nigerians have been robbed by leaders who do not care about the people they govern.

He stated that Nigerians ought to enjoy good roads, constant power supply and many others, but said that Nigerians have been long cheated.

He, however, challenged leaders who are true and committed to the change mantras of President Buhari to buy into the project in order to help Nigeria regain it lost image among nations across the world.