The Federal Government has reiterated its desire to end fake news and hate speech menace in the country.
Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who described both as Siamese twin evil raised the alarm over attempts through sponsored attacks in some quarters, to scuttle government’s efforts at bringing an end to hate speech and fake news in the country.
He revealed that the government has set up a committee to come up with recommendations which would ensure the injection of sanity into the nation’s broadcast industry.
The minister laments that since the setting up of the committee, attempts had been made to frustrate the efforts stressing that no amount of attacks, sponsored or otherwise, would stop the government from carrying out its mandate in that respect through the implementation of the recommendations made by the committee set up to that effect and approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the attack had been launched since he set up a committee to bring about sanity to the broadcast space with the aim of bringing an end to hate speech.
Said he: “Since the inauguration of this committee, there have been attacks, many of them sponsored, from some quarters. As I speak, plans are ongoing to launch more coordinated attacks, with a view to truncating the implementation of the approved recommendations.
“Let me be straight: No amount of attack, sponsored or otherwise, will stop the implementation of the approved recommendations. And only non-patriots and anarchists will kick against measures aimed at putting an end to fake news and hate speech, especially in our broadcast industry. Only those who are guilty should be afraid of the efforts to sanitize the broadcast industry.”
Stressing that the Federal Government was not ready to gag the press by its action, the minister said its action was against those who traded in fake news and hate speech.
According to him, the government could not afford to sit back and watch the spread of hate speech and fake news.
“Responsible broadcasters have nothing to fear. This is not a move to stifle free speech or gag anyone. But purveyors of fake news and hate speech should not expect to sleep easy.
“As for monopolies, they stunt growth, kill talents and discourage creativity. The clearest example of the creative energy that can be unleashed when monopoly is totally broken can be seen in the telecommunications industry. Of course, the broadcast industry has also been liberalised. But any vestige of monopoly is antithetical to the liberalisation of the broadcast industry and must be dismantled. In the case of Nigeria, it’s the monopoly of content that breeds anti-competition practices. You cannot use your financial or whatever power to corner and hold on tight to a chunk of the market, preventing others from having access.
“Such monopolies are crumbling everywhere in the world and Nigeria cannot be left out,” he said.
The minister appealed to online publishers to remain in the vanguard of the efforts to tackle fake news and hate speech.
“We expect you to educate our people on the efforts being made, especially by the government, in this regard. This Administration has no intention of muzzling the media or stifling free speech. Our campaign is against fake news and hate speech. And we will not rest until our media space has been rid of fake news and hate speech,” he said further.