Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said on Thursday that the federal government was committed to the fight against the jagged edges of the fake news syndrome.
Idris said all efforts should be geared towards fighting it.
The comments came as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, denounced the scourge of fake news and its attendant disservice to the country.
The duo spoke at the launch of the EFCC Radio at the headquarters of the commission in Jabi, Abuja.
The minister praised the initiative of a radio station by the commission, explaining that it would empower it to fight false narratives, fake news, and jaundiced presentation of its works.
Idris said, “As a minister, we feel very glad for this step, because we put too much focus on catching people rather than advocacy, enlightenment and sensitisation.
“I am happy now that we are making the right step in the right direction because nobody can tell a story better than you are, so fake news and misinformation are things we need to come together and fight by putting out facts so that the right information can be out there and radio is the simplest way of reaching the larger audience.”
He assured the EFCC of increased support and collaboration in the working of the radio station and other works of the commission.
The minister said, “Be rest assured, we will do our best to ensure you achieve your goals of informing, enlightening and sanitising, I am happy we have the EFCC joining us to achieve this. My principal role is to see that information is given accurately, I will urge other stations to support you too.”
On his own part, Olukoyede went down memory lane concerning the conception and crystallisation of the idea of a radio station for the commission, describing its commissioning as a milestone.
He denounced the scourge of fake news and its attendant disservice to the works of the EFCC, maintaining that the radio station would help the commission tell its own stories more accurately.
Idris said, “Communication offers us stronger weapons for breaking half-truths, lies, insinuations and other distortions of the works we do. Indeed, with our own radio station, we are in a better position to tell our stories, factually, ungarnished and unspun.”
Kingsley Nweze
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