Lai: Many are now mocking us but the change we promised is real

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, says the change promised by the All Progressive Congress (APC) is real even though the party is now the subject of mockery.

Speaking at a town hall meeting in Enugu on Monday, Mohammed stressed that the change promised by the APC is “already here”.

He indicated that part of the change being witnessed by Nigerians is the prosecution of treasury looters and the entrenchment of accountability in public service.

“Many have said they are yet to see the change we promised. Many more have called the promise a ruse. In fact, they are now mocking us. But we remain undaunted because we know that the change we promised is real. In fact, the change we promised is already here, and it is manifesting all around us,” he said.

“Before now, public officials simply opened the public till, took as much money as they wanted and walked away without consequences. That explains why funds allocated to the military to fight Boko Haram ended up in the piggy banks of many unscrupulous Nigerians.

“Today, all those who looted the public treasury are being made to answer for their actions, as impunity gives way to accountability. Many have offered to return their loots, and many more are facing charges.”

Mohammed further noted that the government was actively diversifying the economy, such that a great percentage of the N500 billion realised from the federal accounts allocation committee came from the non-oil sector.

“We promised to diversify the economy away from oil, to ensure that other sectors are able to significantly contribute to sustainable development,” he said.

“In June 2016, for the very first time, about 70 per cent of the more than N500 billion raised from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee came from the non-oil sector, while 30 per cent came from the oil sector.

“It was the first time in 2016 that the Federal Government shared more than N500 billion among the three tiers of government.”