The Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its 7th session on Wednesday, deliberated on the report authored by a national daily on the controversial Samoa agreement, where the cabinet members under President Bola Tinubu took turns to condemn it in its entirety.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who made the disclosure while briefing newsmen after their closed door, said a letter of complaint on the matter has already been transmitted to the media ombudsman, which is the Nigerian Press Council, to compel the newspaper to refrain from circulating information that is wrong and misleading to the public.

He regretted that the report has misled some Nigerians to come up with different insinuations which are incorrect.

Specifically, in the report, the medium had claimed that the federal government signed an agreement with clauses requiring Nigeria to endorse the rights of Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI+) people.

It also said that Nigeria would collect $150 billion for endorsing the deal.

The agreement, generally referred to as the Samoa agreement, was signed on 28 June at the Organisation of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium.

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Details of the agreement indicated that the partnership is between the European Union and its member states on one hand, and members of OACPS on the other.

Negotiations on the agreement began in 2018, and it was signed on 15 November 2018 by all 27 EU member states and 47 of the 79 OACPS states.

The African Regional Protocol on the matter consists of two parts – framework for cooperation and areas of cooperation that include inclusive and sustainable economic growth, environmental and human rights protection, among others.

But reacting angrily to the development, Idris said, “FEC deliberated on the Daily Trust report on the Samoa agreement and concluded that it was meant to mislead the people against the government. We have written to the Ombudsman to call the newspaper to order.

“We will wait for the Ombudsman report but will also urge the press to report responsibly even as the Tinubu led administration recommits to press freedom.

“Tinubu’s government has no intention to gag the press or act in any way seen to be inhibiting media workers’ rights, they are seen as strong pillars towards fostering democracy in the country. They should ensure fake news has no footing in Nigeria. The report has damaged the psyche of some Nigerians,” Idris said.

“Suffice to say, that the Federal Government views that report by Daily Trust very seriously and is urging members of the press to please report responsibly in the interest of our country.

“FEC also stated its commitment to media freedom and the freedom of expression in this country. Like we have said over time, there is no intention whatsoever for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to gag the press or be seen in any way working in the way of media freedom or press freedom.

“More than ever before, government is committed to ensuring that the media will continue to operate in an environment that is very friendly and supportive of their work as a strong pillar for the continuous enthronement of democracy in our land. But like we have said over and over again, we call on the Nigerian media to please show restraint in the kind of reporting that they provide for Nigerians. So that fake news and misinformation will have no place in our society,” the Minister added.

Continuing, Idris said, “Government is not desirous of doing anything that will harm that freedom of expression. But like we have said, where we feel there is an infringement, where we feel that the media itself or a section of it, in this case, Daily Trust, has erred, because government still believes that the report by Daily Trust is not correct, Nigerians have been misinformed, and in the process, a lot of damage has been done on the psyche of our people.

“People have interpreted even without reading the report itself, the wording of Daily Trust and have taken to make sermons and therefore, this further underscores the importance of the media and what we say all the time.

“If you want to report it is pertinent to all practitioners in the industry to ensure that you report what is correct and in the best interest of the nation. This is the message that government has and it is because of that, that we have taken to the industry’s own self-appointed Ombudsman to look at some of the excesses, we have made a complaint to the Ombudsman to look at the report and we have cited examples of where Daily Trust has got it wrong. So that Daily Trust can come clean and also mention or apologise to the nation and the government.

“There is no harm in saying you are wrong in this one, we apologise and we get it right, but we don’t expect that we will just sit down and keep quiet when government feels that what a particular newspaper has written is not in the best interest of the country and it is not correct, it is misinformation and therefore action needs to be taken and the action we have taken is that as we speak now lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman.”

Also speaking, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi said, “We are conscious of press freedom and if you notice this administration has not and will not tamper with press freedom and it will not particularly because if you know the President, he has been an ardent supporter and believer in press freedom, in fact, that is what got him up to this point.

“He is conscious of that, not only in press freedom, but in fundamental human rights as enshrined in the constitution. That is being taken up because we want to ensure that we give it all necessary and friendly attention before we take any further steps if it fails. I hope it doesn’t fail.”

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