The federal government has reiterated its stance that Daily Trust newspaper’s report on the Samoa Agreement was misleading and false, demanding an apology from the media outlet.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris made the declaration to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by President Bola Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa.
According to the minister, the government has addressed the issue, including writing to the media industry’s ombudsman to review the controversial report.
“The federal government insists that that report on the Samoa agreement was misleading; it was false and designed to create confusion in the land,” the minister stated.
The FEC expressed its commitment to await the ombudsman’s report before taking any further action.
However, the government emphasized the seriousness with which it views the Daily Trust report, urging press members to “report responsibly in the interest of our country.”
The minister maintained that Daily Trust’s report had misinformed Nigerians and caused significant damage to public perception.
“We have made a complaint to the ombudsman to look at the report, and we have cited examples of where Daily Trust have got it wrong,” the Information Minister explained, adding, “So that Daily Trust can come clean and also mention or apologise to the nation and the government.”
While reaffirming the administration’s dedication to media freedom and freedom of expression, the minister stressed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has no intention of gagging the press.
He called on Nigerian media to exercise restraint in their reporting to prevent the spread of fake news and misinformation.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, also weighed in on the matter, highlighting the administration’s respect for press freedom and fundamental human rights.
Before publishing reports, he advised journalists to utilise the Freedom of Information Act and channel inquiries to appropriate government agencies.
