Lai Mohammed Rallies Support for Military in War Against Terror

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has again called on Nigerians to give total support to the military in its efforts to consolidate the great achievements it had recorded in the fight against Boko Haram.

The Minister made the call on Monday at the launch of a private news magazine, SI Magazine, in Abuja.

''Many of our troops have paid the supreme price in liberating communities hitherto held by the terrorists, to such an extent that no community today is exclusively in the hands of Boko Haram. Yes, they may be operating in one or two areas but they are doing so from a position of weakness, unlike in the past when they brazenly took over territories, hoisted their flags, desposed and imposed emirs and even collected taxes.

''We owe it a duty to support our gallant military, not to condemn or second guess them,'' he said.

Alhaji Mohammed commended the magazine for featuring in its launch edition the details of the recconstruction, resettlement and rehabilitation efforts being undertaken by the Federal and State governments in the North-east, especially in Borno State, saying that in reporting the developments, SI Magazine is contributing its own quota to efforts to consolidate the peace in the North-east.

He commended the founder of the magazine, Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya, for her innovation and creativity and solicited support for her enterprise.

''I am glad to say that Hajiya Khadijah and her team, who conceived the idea of the magazine we are launching today, have already keyed into the government's Change Agenda. Coming up with such an innovative magazine, the type of which I am sure we have not seen in these parts, is a sure way to keep our people better informed and educated, not just about the activities of government but also about our country, its plurality in terms of people, language and culture, as well as its richness in human and natural resources.

''The uniqueness of SI Magazine lies in the fact that it has leveraged technology to the hilt, thereby separating itself from the pack...The magazine packs a punch as it uses a multi-media format to bring its stories to the readers. Video, audio, picture, podcast, text are all employed to ensure that the reader does not miss the messages contained in any edition. Then the authors also went beyond the stories that grab headlines, to bring out - even from the grassroots - the stories that are easily forgotten in the rush to chronicle the emergent events of the times,'' the Minister said.

In his remarks, the Chairman of SI Magazine and a popular columnist, Mr. Mohammed Haruna, said the magazine is set out to bring to the fore unreported issues like the suffering of women and children in the Internally Displaced Persons Camps across the country and efforts being made to rebuild communities destroyed by Boko Haram.

He said the magazine is leveraging on technology to zoom its lenses on the value system and promote the nation's cultural heritage.

Segun Adeyemi
SA to Hon Minister of Information and Culture
Abuja Feb. 15th 2016