The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that Nigerians’ crave for consumption of foreign goods contributed to the depletion of the nation’s foreign reserves.
The minister made the statement on Thursday in Lagos at the unveiling of the national reorientation campaign “Change Begins With Me” to corporate Nigeria.
He said that the campaign was meant to canvass for such attitudinal change and correct other ills in the society. “In simple parlance, the campaign is geared towards achieving attitudinal change.
“As they say, you cannot continue to do things the same way and expect a different result.
“Against the background that our core values have witnessed total breakdown in the past years, it is imperative that we reorientate ourselves with a view to restoring those time-tested values,” Mohammed said.
The minister pointed out that contrary to the views of some critics, the campaign was leadership-driven.
He said that President Muhammadu Buhari and his entire cabinet had been living true to the national reorientation campaign, long before it was publicly unveiled last month.
Mohammed noted that the President demonstrated that change began with him when he rejected the purchase of new vehicles on assumption of office. He added that the president had also directed his convoy not to break traffic rules.
He said, “The President demonstrated leadership when he rejected the purchase of new vehicles for his use, thus saving N400 million.
“Thanks to his action, no minister purchases new vehicles, saving millions more.
“Then upon assuming office, the President instructed his convoy to always respect traffic rules. The ministers all followed suit.
“Today, ministers queue up at airports and filling stations. Their lifestyle is devoid of any ostentation.
“The Federal Executive Council is not left behind. The weekly FEC Meeting starts on time. Indeed, change started with us a long time ago.”
Mohammed appealed to the private sector to support the campaign, adding that they were key to its success.
In a presentation, he outlined the different options available to the private sector to key into the campaign, including Platinum, Gold, Diamond and Channel partnerships.
Some representatives of the private sector, who spoke at the event, expressed support for the campaign, saying it could not have come at a better time.
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