The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says he has more credibility on Nigerian security matters than foreign media outlets, making reference to CNN and The Economist.
The minister who faulted both media outlets reports, spoke at a press briefing in his office.
He said The Economist and CNN have in the past published false information about the country.
“Why must you now reecho as if whatever CNN says must be true. Whatever (The) Economist says must be true,” the minister said. “I, as a Nigerian, the situation I met things in 2015 is not what it is today.”
Mohammed claimed that The Economist’s latest issue that highlighted Nigeria’s major challenges are similar to that of the U.S. 2020 annual report on human rights which were inaccurate. He described the London magazine’s report as a deliberate attempt to pull Nigeria apart.
“When CNN put out a report that was not accurate we called them out. Why would we join hands with people to pull down our house?” the minister asked.
“Why do you people want to join hands with people that just want to sell their arms by denigrating the military?” he added.
The Economist had earlier reported that Nigerian Army is filled “with corrupt generals and unable to protect the country from the mutating violence”.
“Nigeria’s army is mighty on paper,” the London magazine added.
“But many of its soldiers are ‘ghosts’ who exist only on the payroll, and much of its equipment is stolen and sold to insurgents.”
The Economist in an extensive report on Nigeria said the country had not been able to address its insecurity because military chiefs plundered much of the country’s combat resources and the rest had stretched thin with little capacity to forestall the crisis.
