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The federal government Monday tackled the United States’ travel advisory issued recently, describing it as unwarranted and one likely to create needless panic and undermine efforts by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government to attract investments to Nigeria.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi stated this during a parley with senior editors and media executives in Abuja.
Malagi said the federal government is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all Nigerians and visitors across the country.
He said: “We understand the concerns raised by the United States government in their recent travel advisory, but believe that it is imperative that we do not generalise isolated incidents across the entire hospitality industry.
“What we have seen is that such advisories do not achieve anything other than needless panic, and they can have severe adverse economic impact, not to talk of what they do to undermine the government’s efforts to attract investment.”
Continuing, Malagi assured: “We have consistently prioritized the safety and well-being of all visitors to our country. We have implemented comprehensive security measures, both at the Federal and State levels, to ensure the safety of tourists and international guests.
“These measures include intense intelligence gathering, acquisition and deployment of additional platforms, training and re-training of personnel, cooperation with international law enforcement agencies, among others, to maintain a secure environment.”
He said the government would continue to work towards maintaining a secure and hospitable environment for tourists and business travelers and the likes in the country.
Security.
The minister also highlighted recent gains made by the military and other security agencies in the fight against terrorism, insurgency and other forms of insecurity in the country.
“Our security agencies have been very busy, doing their best to keep us all safe. In various parts of Kaduna State, seven bandits were neutralized, in various operations between the 1st and 3rd of November.
“In Kano State, on November 3, a joint operation by troops of the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services carried out a dawn raid operation on terrorists’ hideout in Gezawa Local Government Area, successfully averting an imminent attack on Kano by insurgents. The operation recovered AK 47 Rifles, AK 47 Rifle Magazines, a Rocket Propelled Gun (RPG), RPG Bombs, Hand Grenades, Improvised Explosive Device (IED)-making materials, among others.
“In Katsina, two NYSC members abducted by bandits were successfully rescued.
“In the North-East and North-West of the country, the Nigerian Air Force has been very busy, with several successful airstrikes on bandits’ and terrorists’ camps and hideouts in Katsina, Zamfara and Borno States.
“The Air Force has also recently taken delivery of 4 new aircraft, to strengthen the fight against banditry and terrorism.
“In our maritime environment, on October 25, the Eastern and Central Naval Commands flagged off a Joint Sea Exercise, Exercise SEA GUARDIAN 2023,” he said.
Renewed Hope Agenda
While emphasising the due diligence of the Tinubu-led administration’s efforts to rejig the country for radical transformation, the information minister recalled “the central governing agenda, anchored on eight (8) priority objectives that will help build a more just and equitable Nigeria; reform the economy to deliver sustained inclusive growth;
strengthen national security for peace and prosperity; boost agriculture to achieve food security; and unlock energy and natural resources for sustainable development.”
The others are; “to enhance infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth; focus on education, health, and social investment as essential pillars of development; and accelerate diversification through industrialization, digitisation, creative arts, manufacturing & innovation and improve governance for effective service delivery.”
Media collaboration
The minister urged Nigerians, particularly the media, to support and amplify efforts of security agencies in the fight against insecurity.
This, according to him, would help defeat terrorists’ propaganda and boost the morale of security agencies for seamless socio-economic and political activities that will engender growth and development.
He said: “Security agencies deserve the full support of all Nigerians, the media included. Please pay attention to what they’re doing, and give amplified coverage to their successes and gains.
“The bandits, terrorists, kidnappers, pirates etc are waging not only a physical battle but also a psychological one, trying to undermine our faith and confidence in our security agencies.
“As media leaders, we must be very careful to not play into their hands, through reporting that might be misleading or sensational or that undermines the morale of our security personnel.”
The minister thus enjoined media experts to work with the government to sustain peace in the country through responsible, transparent and accountable reportage of government programmes and policies.
“While government is taking necessary steps to ensure that honest, credible and timely information is being put out there for the benefit of Nigerians, on the flipside, the government is also requesting you to please report government activities in the most transparent and accountable manner.
“While it is imperative for the government to provide a free and favourable environment for the media to operate, it is also incumbent on the media people to take this role with the highest sense of responsibility. Please report what is accurate and leave what you are in doubt of. It is lesson 001 in journalism that if you are in doubt leave it.
“Don’t report what is not factual. This country is for all of us to build and I know that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a democrat.
He is willing and able to provide you with all the information that you so require, let focus on those things that are important for our development as a country and leave out fake news, misinformation and all those that have the tendencies to divide us as a country,” Malagi further stated.
New value orientation
The minister hinted that his ministry was working to reorient Nigerians through campaigns aimed at addressing moral decadence and foster unity, patriotism and promote positive values among Nigerians.
“Against the backdrop of evident systemic moral decline over a long period of time, leading to the erosion of national values, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation (FMINO), is working on implementing a sustained mass reorientation campaign that aims to foster unity, patriotism, and the promotion of positive cultural values among Nigerians.
“We will seek to collectively reorient ourselves as Nigerians, in the direction of a stronger sense of national identity and shared values,” he said.
Fuel subsidy palliatives
Speaking further, Malagi said the Tinubu-led administration was taking all necessary measures to alleviate the pains being felt, particularly with the view to cushioning the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.
He said the interventions were designed to serve as palliatives in the short and medium-term, while Nigerians wait to reap the long-term benefits of the reforms.
According to him, some of them include: “A provisional wage increment of N35, 000 monthly for six months, to enhance federal minimum wage, without causing undue inflation.
“Establishment of an Infrastructure Support Fund for States to invest in critical areas that will create an enabling environment for businesses.
“Launch of a 100 Billion Naira CNG bus rollout programme, to deliver CNG-powered buses, and establishment of a Presidential Committee to drive implementation.”
The minister said the president, since assuming office, had signed no fewer than five Executive Orders, aimed at improving Nigeria’s business and fiscal environment, and increasing foreign exchange supply.
He said: “Deft moves by the Central Bank of Nigeria to clear the billions of dollars in inherited foreign exchange backlog. We saw the immediate impact of this on the exchange rates last week, and we are confident that this is just the beginning.
“Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the Central Bank is determined to focus on its core mandates of price stability and financial system stability, for the benefit of all Nigerians.
“Establishment of a Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee to reform the tax system while also reducing tax burden on Nigerians. The Committee has this week presented its first set of reform proposals— ‘Quick Wins’ to the President, and Nigerians can rest assured that they will be implemented.
“I must emphasize that one of the primary mandates of the Committee is to reduce the tax burdens and complications faced by Nigerians.”
On poverty alleviation, Malagi said the federal government was finalizing the process for payment of a Cash Transfer of N25, 000 monthly to 15 million of the poorest and most vulnerable households in Nigeria, for three months.
Speaking on job creation and youth empowerment initiatives of the federal government, the minister said: “An access-to-credit programme for startups and MSMEs, that will be launched soon; providing N50 billion in Conditional Grants to 1 million nano-businesses across Nigeria between now and March 2024; and a new single-digit interest-rate Fund to provide N75 billion to support manufacturing enterprises; among others.
“We have launched the 3MTT programme that aims to develop 3 million technical talents by 2025, in line with the President’s vision for making Nigeria a global hub for digital jobs. In just two weeks since it was launched, close to 500,000 applications have been received from across Nigeria.
“Still in line with the jobs agenda, we have recently launched the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), to create one million service-export jobs over the next 5 years, and make Nigeria a global business outsourcing hub.” (Blueprint)
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