The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday faulted claims by the People’s Democratic Party that the current ordeal of its spokesman, Chief Olisa Metuh, at the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was an attempt to silence the opposition.
He stated this in an interview with State House correspondents inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Mohammed was asked to react to protests currently trailing the arrest of Metuh and the prosecution of another leader of the PDP, Haliru Bello, as well as his son.
The minister said the Federal Government was not dictating to the nation’s anti-graft agencies on who to arrest or prosecute.
He urged journalists to also conduct their independent investigations on the allegations levelled against the suspects and verify if they were genuine or not.
Mohammed, “I think the first point to make is that this government is not micro-managing any of the anti-graft agencies. I know for a fact that they don’t contact the President or anybody before they do their job.
“I think the media also has to do more than they are doing right now, they should investigate these allegations and also make their independent judgment about it.
“Honestly, if the EFCC or ICPC says that they are able to trace certain amount of money to my account, I don’t want you to believe it, I want you to also ask for proof; do your investigation.
“I can assure you that this government, no functionary in government micromanages or directs the EFCC or ICPC on who to arrest and who not to arrest.”