The Minister made the claims during a stakeholders’ meeting with members of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) in Abuja.

Pointing out the demands, the Minister said the #EndSARS protesters had demanded the immediate release of all arrested protesters, justice for all deceased victims of police brutality and appropriate compensation for their families.

He said the protesters also requested that an independent body oversees the investigation and prosecution of all reports of police misconduct within ten days and the increase of Police salary to adequately compensate for the risks involved in protecting the lives and property of citizens.

The minister noted that the Federal Government was not only responsive to the demands of the End SARS protesters but was also very responsible in its handling of their requests.

“As you can see, ladies and gentlemen we met the five demands.

“Some, like disbandment of SARS, were met immediately while we kick-started the process of meeting others that cannot be done with an immediate pronouncement.

“Despite this, the protest continued, and the demands kept expanding, until the protest was hijacked, leading to unprecedented violence characterized by killings, maiming, arson, looting etc.”

“The Federal Government was not only responsive but was also very responsible in its handling of the demands of the #EndSARS protesters” He claimed.

CNN had in the past week released a report with  videos and eyewitness account explaining what happened during the shooting at the Lekki toll plaza during the #EndSARS protests.

But the Minister of Information and Culture,  Lai Mohammed, had last week described CNN’s report on the Lekki shootings as poor journalism, adding that the network deserved to be sanctioned.

The Minister had also followed up the threat with a letter addressed to the management of CNN in Atlanta.

However, the media organization on Tuesday did a second report with more damning footage showing soldiers shooting at unarmed protesters on October 20, 2020.

The fresh report also shows the Commander, 81 Division, Brig.Gen Ahmed Taiwo, admitting before the judicial panel in Lagos that his men indeed took live ammunition to the tollgate.

The CNN report also highlights the fact that Brig.Gen Taiwo’s claim is at variance with the minister’s who had claimed last week that the army fired blank bullets.

The fresh report also shows protesters running as soldiers open fire at the tollgate, The Punch reports.

The Federal Government on Monday petitioned the Cable News Network (CNN), demanding “an immediate and exhaustive investigation into its report on the Lekki Toll Gate incident to determine its authenticity and conformity to basic standards of journalism.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this in Abuja on Monday in his letter to Jonathan Hawkins, VP (Communications) in CNN Centre Atlanta, Georgia.

The letter dated November 23 2020 entitled ‘Re: How a bloody night of bullets quashed a young protest movement’.

The letter reads, “Our attention has been drawn to an ‘investigation’ by CNN, entitled ‘How a Bloody Night of Bullets Quashed a Young Protest Movement’ and aired on 18 Nov. 2020, in which the international news organization said it had ”uncovered that Nigerian security forces opened fire on unarmed protesters” at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, Nigeria, during the #EndSARS protest.

“We write to put on record that the report did not just fall short of journalistic standards, it reinforces the disinformation that is going around on the issue, it is blatantly irresponsible and it is a poor piece of journalistic work by a reputable international news organization.

“In the first instance, the report did not live up to the most basic of the core principles of journalism – balance and fairness. According to the website www.ethics.journalists.org, ”balance and fairness are classic buzzwords of journalism ethics: In objective journalism, stories must be balanced in the sense of attempting to present all sides of a story. Fairness means that a journalist should strive for accuracy and truth in reporting, and not slant a story so a reader draws the reporter’s desired conclusion.”

He added that the government would only work with stakeholders to regulate social media.

The Minister made this known at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, where he observed that social media was used wrongly to cause mayhem in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protest.

The government described the report by the foreign news medium as “irresponsible journalism”.

CNN had on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 published an investigative report claiming soldiers fired live ammunition directly at protesters at the Lekki toll gate.

But the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Thursday at a press conference in Abuja, described the report by the foreign news medium as “irresponsible journalism”.

According to him, the briefing was conveyed to address lingering issues regarding the #EndSARS protests for police reform that rocked the nation last month.

He described the event of October 20, 2020 as a “massacre without bodies”, insisting that not a single body has been produced or a single family has come out to claim their family member was killed at the Lekki tollgate.

The minister alleged that CNN relied on social media videos without verification to produce its report. “This should earn CNN a serious sanction for irresponsible reporting,” Mohammed said.

He added that some “unscrupulous persons” including celebrities circulated fake news on the social media that aggravated the violence that trailed the two-week demonstration.

Mohammed also said the government stands by last Saturday’s testimony of the Commander of 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Victoria Island, Lagos, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, who told the Judicial Panel of Inquiry instituted by the Lagos State Government that blank bullets were fired at into the skies at the toll gate.

He advised persons with evidence on the Lekki shootings to give its testimony before the Lagos panel probing the incident.

The unveiling took place during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, the nation’s capital on Wednesday.

In attendance at the meeting was Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and the Federal Ministers.

The Federal Ministers include the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Minister of Information and Culture, Rauf Aregbesola; Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, among others.

The Federal Government had earlier in September called on Nigerians to submit creative ideas that can brand the anniversary which is themed “Together at 60”.

Nigeria’s Independence is usually celebrated annually on October 1.

The appointments include those of Mr Buki Ponle as the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria; Prof Sunday Ododo as General Manager/CEO, National Theatre; and Mr Francis Nwosu as the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Press Council.

This was contained in a statement titled, ‘President Buhari appoints CEOs for Federal Ministry of Information and Culture’s agencies,’ by Mr Segun Adeyemi, spokesman to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

It read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Chief Executive Officers for nine of the agencies under the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

“According to the approval letter, which was conveyed to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, by Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of Staff to the President, on Tuesday, Mr Buki Ponle was appointed Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria while Mr Nura Kangiwa was named the Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism.

“Mr Francis Nwosu was appointed the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Press Council; Mr Ebeten Ivara, Director General, National Gallery of Arts; Mr Olalekan Fadolapo, Registrar/CEO of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria and Prof. Sunday Ododo, General Manager/CEO, National Theatre.

“Others are M. Ado Yahuza, Executive Secretary/CEO, National Institute for Cultural Orientation; Prof. Aba Tijjani, Director General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments and Mrs Oluwabunmi Amao, Director General, Centre for Black And African Arts and Civilisation.

“The appointments take effect from September 1, 2020.”

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed this on Tuesday at the unveiling ceremony of the reviewed Nigeria Broadcasting Code organized by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in Lagos.

A statement signed and issued by Mohammed’s spokesman, Segun Adeyemi said the reviewed code contained the Antitrust provision aimed at boosting local content and encouraging the growth of the local industry, among other provisions.

The statement reads partly: “The amended Code also includes the provision raising the fine for hate speech from 500,000 Naira to 5 million Naira.

“Alhaji Mohammed clarified that the amendments were necessitated by a Presidential directive, in the wake of the 2019 general elections, for an inquiry into the regulatory role of the NBC with a view to repositioning the regulator for optimum performance.

“He said despite the attacks by some vested interests, who believe that their singular business interest is superior to national interest, over the provisions of the amended Code, the Federal Government remains unperturbed.”

Lai Mohammed in a statement signed and forwarded to DAILY POST by the Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mr Segun Adeyemi, said the directive becomes necessary following the submission of the report of a committee set up to work out the modalities for implementing the recommendations approved by President Muhammadu Buhari to re-position the broadcast industry.

The statement reads: “Following my satisfaction with the report which was very professional and detailed, I wish to direct the Commission to take the necessary measures to effect the implementation of the various provisions therein.

“This directive covers the provision for the regulation of the web and online TV/radio; regulation of international broadcasters beaming signals into Nigeria; hate speech; human resource and staff welfare; funding for the reforms implementation; monitoring; Independence of the Regulator and ease of issuing Licenses as well as competition and monopoly issues,” he said.

Lai Mohammed also expressed confidence that the new regulations, which are due to come into effect this January, will re-energize the broadcast industry, deliver real value in the sector and grow the creative industry for the benefit of practitioners.

”This regulation prevents the misuse of monopoly or market power or anti-competitive and unfair practices by a foreign or local broadcaster to suppress other local broadcasters in the television and radio markets, having removed exclusivity from all content in Nigeria and mandated the sharing of all content upon the payment of commercially viable fee.”

The Minister said over 296 illegal immigrants have been arrested while some cache of arms and ammunition have been recovered from illegal importation,

The government delegation was welcomed by protesters lamenting the loss of over N5 billion by businessmen whose goods were affected by the closure.

Mohammed at a press briefing after the tour said the closure has halted the smuggling of foreign rice to the country.

According to him, while farmers are expanding their farms, the closure has increased revenue generation just as monthly import revenue has increased by 50 per cent

He said, “I thank all the stakeholders who have come here to receive us and I want to assure you that the Federal Government has sent this very high-level ministerial delegation to ensure exactly how important the issue of national security has had on the economy.”

Source: Punch