#OgaWhatDidYouSay: I never said economy was beyond Buhari’s control – Minister

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Sunday denied saying the Nigerian economy had gone out of the control of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Mohammed was quoted as making the comment (on the state of the country’s economy) on a radio show on Saturday.

But following the criticisms that greeted the report, the minister, in   a statement by his special assistant, Segun Adeyemi, said he was misquoted.

He said, “I appeared on a radio show here in Abuja at which I spoke extensively on the issues affecting our country especially the economy.

“To my surprise, my views were twisted and I was reported to have said that the economy of our country is beyond the control of the President.

“I could not have said that the economy is out of the control of the President or the administration that he is leading.’’

The minister said the Federal Government decided to turn the economic disaster that it inherited to a blessing by diversifying the economy.

Mohammed added, “I think Kannywood (Hausa entertainment industry) is one of the examples of this diversification.

“I don’t know the reason behind the gross distortion of my comment on radio, but whatever the motive is, Nigerians should disregard such a distortion and continue to support our President and his administration to take our country out of the problems.”