Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that federal government’s efforts to keep Nigerians better informed of its activities were sabotaged by those he accused of deliberately spreading false information through social media.
“Everyday, this group of people deliberately distort our messages while also suffusing the atmosphere with their own version of information,’’ the minister said at a colloquium organized in Lagos.
He said the situation forced government to resort to taking its messages directly to the people using the town hall format.
According to him, government had embarked on sensitisation campaigns on what it was doing in its three broad priority areas.
He said, ‘’What we have done is to counter them using what we call town hall meetings that allow us to speak with Nigerians directly while also getting the necessary feedback.
“We are aware that it is not just enough to do something, you must be seen to be doing it. In other words, the activities of government are as important as communicating them. That is why this administration places much premium on communicating with the people.