Femi Fani-Kayode, Aribisala can say what they like
It is no secret that two of the most outspoken persons against Lai Mohammed are Femi Fani-Kayode and Femi Aribisala. The duo have continually stated that the minister is misleading the nation with half-truths and misrepresentation of reality. Lai reacts to their claims stating what he thinks of them.
“I read them, they are shallow. Whatever they are saying, is from their arm-chairs. I have been to Bama, Kauri, Konduga, I have held meetings with the chief of Defence staff, I have held meetings with the commander of war front. With all sense of modesty, I am better equipped to understand Boko Haram than they are.
“Now, how have I misled the country?
I have said that the Army has largely met the deadline. And I talk with facts and figures. I said, this time last year, 20 out of 27 local governments were in the hands of Boko Haram and today as we are speaking only one or two are in their control; and you say I am misleading the country.”
N5,000 can make the difference for 50 million Nigerians
Speaking on the poverty alleviation programme of the government and the proposed payment of the N5,000 allowance to unemployed youths, Lai Mohammed reveals the class of people that would benefit from the scheme.
“What we want to achieve by our social intervention is to move out millions of Nigerians from poverty.
“Part of what we intend to do with the half a trillion naira is to train market women, artisans and unemployed graduates in the art of management and also give them loans to start their own businesses. Part of our social intervention also includes this conditional transfer of N5,000 to the most vulnerable people. And we are being partnered in this by the World Bank and other multilateral organisations.
“It has been done in many countries before and we believe that it can be done here. Many people have written ridiculously about the N5,000 and claimed that it is not up to what they spend on recharge cards. And we said yes, those who are writing such things are not the average Nigerians we are seeking to help.
“If you look at the lady who is selling water melon or pawpaw, she does not have up to N5,000 capital. People don’t know that N5,000 can be meaningful for many Nigerians because they are too comfortable in their corners.
“They do not know that N5,000 can make the difference between life and death for 50 million Nigerians. Many people have died because they could not afford transportation to the health centres. We are grappling with the reality on ground and we know that this conditional cash transfer is working in some states and it is being piloted by DIFID.”
Boko Haram ran a parallel government in Bama
Lai Mohammed in the course of the interview, revealed that Bama local government, one of the strongholds of the insurgents had been largely reclaimed by federal troops. He also said that before the recapture, the terrorists had designated Bama as the headquarters of its proposed caliphate.
“If you go to Bama today, you will not believe you are in Nigeria. Every signboard and notice is in Arabic, you will think you are in Saudi Arabia, Algeria or Tunisia. There is no single notice in English left. There, we have Morrocans, Tunisians, Malians living there and they turned that place into an Arabic town.
“That convinces me more that this is not just a local war. Just some months ago, Boko Haram was using Bama as headquarters of their caliphate, appointing emirs from there, and collecting taxes. They had their own government. It is from this perspective I want you to appreciate what this government has achieved.”
If Buhari was not working since May, Nigeria would have stopped working
Reacting to impressions of President Buhari not doing enough since being sworn into government in May, the Minister stated that if the impression was in fact true, Nigeria would have ground to a halt as a country.
“With all sense of modesty, if we have not been doing something today, this country would have gone down. There is no way you meet the kind of rot we met and think you can turn things around overnight.
“We had petrol shortage a few weeks ago, we went to National Assembly to ask for supplementary budget of N674billion. N522billion out of it was for back payment of subsidy. Marketers stopped importing fuel since September because they said we were owing a backlog of N522billion and they would not bring fuel.
“We did not say we are not going to pay, and the refineries are not working.”
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N5,000 can make the difference for 50 million Nigerians
Speaking on the poverty alleviation programme of the government and the proposed payment of the N5,000 allowance to unemployed youths, Lai Mohammed reveals the class of people that would benefit from the scheme.
“What we want to achieve by our social intervention is to move out millions of Nigerians from poverty.
“Part of what we intend to do with the half a trillion naira is to train market women, artisans and unemployed graduates in the art of management and also give them loans to start their own businesses. Part of our social intervention also includes this conditional transfer of N5,000 to the most vulnerable people. And we are being partnered in this by the World Bank and other multilateral organisations.
“It has been done in many countries before and we believe that it can be done here. Many people have written ridiculously about the N5,000 and claimed that it is not up to what they spend on recharge cards. And we said yes, those who are writing such things are not the average Nigerians we are seeking to help.
“If you look at the lady who is selling water melon or pawpaw, she does not have up to N5,000 capital. People don’t know that N5,000 can be meaningful for many Nigerians because they are too comfortable in their corners.
“They do not know that N5,000 can make the difference between life and death for 50 million Nigerians. Many people have died because they could not afford transportation to the health centres. We are grappling with the reality on ground and we know that this conditional cash transfer is working in some states and it is being piloted by DIFID.”
Boko Haram ran a parallel government in Bama
Lai Mohammed in the course of the interview, revealed that Bama local government, one of the strongholds of the insurgents had been largely reclaimed by federal troops. He also said that before the recapture, the terrorists had designated Bama as the headquarters of its proposed caliphate.
“If you go to Bama today, you will not believe you are in Nigeria. Every signboard and notice is in Arabic, you will think you are in Saudi Arabia, Algeria or Tunisia. There is no single notice in English left. There, we have Morrocans, Tunisians, Malians living there and they turned that place into an Arabic town.
“That convinces me more that this is not just a local war. Just some months ago, Boko Haram was using Bama as headquarters of their caliphate, appointing emirs from there, and collecting taxes. They had their own government. It is from this perspective I want you to appreciate what this government has achieved.”
If Buhari was not working since May, Nigeria would have stopped working
Reacting to impressions of President Buhari not doing enough since being sworn into government in May, the Minister stated that if the impression was in fact true, Nigeria would have ground to a halt as a country.
“With all sense of modesty, if we have not been doing something today, this country would have gone down. There is no way you meet the kind of rot we met and think you can turn things around overnight.
“We had petrol shortage a few weeks ago, we went to National Assembly to ask for supplementary budget of N674billion. N522billion out of it was for back payment of subsidy. Marketers stopped importing fuel since September because they said we were owing a backlog of N522billion and they would not bring fuel.
“We did not say we are not going to pay, and the refineries are not working.”
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