Nigeria’s information minister, Lai Mohammed, has called on social commentators to be more constructive in their criticism of the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.
Mohammed said the government welcomes criticism but noted that deliberate de-marketing of the country is unpatriotic.
“We are not saying don’t criticise the government, you are at liberty to do so. However, stop de-marketing Nigeria. Stop setting one ethnic group or religion against the other and have the courage to be honest and forthright,’’ Mohammed told NAN in an interview.
The minister also expressed optimism that with dedication and resilience of citizens, the country would overcome its current challenges.
“We have challenges just like any other country in the world but we are going to overcome them.
“Some countries have not even experienced half of what we are going through before they collapsed but everybody must do his own bit.
“It is unfortunate today that many people are waiting for the country to disintegrate and many of them are disappointed that we are still standing on our feet.
“We will continue to wax stronger because these detractors and vocal nay-sayers are in the minority,’’ he said.
Mohammed further cautioned Nigerians against making themselves available for use by politicians working against the country’s unity.
“When you look at some write ups in our newspapers and social media, you begin to wonder whether the writers are patriots.
“If you don’t live in Nigeria and you are reading what they are writing, you will think that every part of Nigeria is at war,’’ he said.
