The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated the position on Thursday in Abuja when he received a delegation of the Presidential Committee on the North East Initiative (PCNI).
“I want to say categorically and emphatically that there is no iota of truth in this.
“Governors are not meeting in Abuja because there is no need for it. There is no plan to send an emissary to London to see the President.
“Again, I want to say that the president is hale and hearty in London where he is observing his 10-day vacation.
“Let us all shun the negative reports insinuating the president illness and death.
“We implore those behind this outright falsehood to desist.
“It is because Nigeria exists that they can practice their profession. We implore them to stop overheating the society.’’
The minister told the delegation that his ministry is very passionate about the North-East and has put the region’s concerns and developmental agenda on the front burner of its activities.
He explained that until Nigeria took possession of the insurgency war in the region, full rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement would not take place.
According to him, the country is winning the war on terror and there is need to celebrate the military that is prosecuting the war.
“We are also aware there is a bigger war to be won which is healing the wounds that have been created by the insurgency.
“The ministry is particular about ensuring that correct information about the North East is disseminated,’’ he said.
The minister said that the PCNI had a tall mandate but expressed confidence in the leader and members of the committee to deliver.
He pledged the readiness of his ministry to assist the committee in any way, particularly in information dissemination.
The leader of the delegation and Chairman PCNEI Economic sub-Committee, Mr Yusuf Yakubu said the committee was committed to restoring stability to the North East through sustainable socio-economic activities.
In achieving this, he said the committee harmonised all intervention planning for the region into a national strategic road map tagged “The Buhari Plan’’.
Yakubu solicited partnership with the ministry in mobilisation and changing negative narratives in the Northeast region.
PCNI was inaugurated by the president under the leadership of Gen. T.Y. Danjuma (retd.) on Oct. 26, 2016, with a three-year mandate to guide, coordinate, facilitate and support all interventions and relief activities across the North East.11
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