Insecurity: Galvanize Support for Military Operations, CDS urges Media
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, has enjoined journalists covering defence beats to galvanize public support for military operations launched to tackle insecurity.
The CDS made the call on Tuesday while declaring open a one-day workshop for Defence Correspondents organised by Defence Headquarters (DHQ) in partnership with The Media Today (TMT) International.
The with themed, “The Role of Defence Correspondents in Enhancing National Security: Imperatives of Conflict Sensitive Communication,” to widen knowledge of Journalists on conflict sensitive communication towards conflict resolutions.
Gen Irabor who was represented by the Chief of Defence Administration, Rear Admiral Abdul Adamu urged media to use their reportage to align with military operations aimed at bring sustainable national unity and peaceful coexistence among the citizenry.”
He noted that security agencies do not hide under the nebulous concept of national security to starve the media of information, even when the matter at stake holds no such implication.
He said that the manner in which conflict sensitive information is being processed and disseminated to the public could positively or negatively affect national security.
He however explained that the capacity building training will facilitate needed discourse towards identifying viable media approach and collaboration which would support kinetic efforts of the AFN in combating present and emerging threats.
The Deputy Director Defence Information (DDDI), Air Commodore Wap Maigida in his remark, said the complex nature of asymmetric warfare fought by the Nigerian military involves interplay of factors and actors which the media is inclusive.
The DDDI urged the media to carry out coherent activities with the military in order to achieve more feats in the theatres of operation.
According to Air Cdre Maigida, ‘unpatriotic and negative reportage by the media over the years, have continue to distort military operations against insurgency, terrorism and more recently banditry’.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), TMT International, Barr Charles Odenigbo also urged media organizations and institutions to dwell more on investigative reporting to expose activities of terrorists.
According to Odenigbo, the code of ethics for Nigerian journalists emplaced that journalism should entails a high degree of public trust which must be earn by observing highest professional and ethical standard.
The keynote speaker, Prof Abiodun Adeniyi, Head of Mass Communication Department, Baze University, Abuja lead paper presentation on the theme while Commander AB Ayi, delivered the second paper on the Overview Military Terminologies.
Other presenters included Defence Editor, Blueprint Newspaper, Mr Jibrin Ndace and Dr Theophilus Abbah, former Editor Sunday Trust, delivered the third and fourth papers on the Challenges of a Defence Correspondent and The Journalist Code of Ethics, Conflict of Interest and National Security.
Meanwhile the event also feature interactive sessions which former Director Defence Information (DDI) Major General Chris Olukolade (rtd) and Mr Dayo Ayetan were moderators.
The panelists include: DDI Maj Gen Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr, Dr Okey Ikechukwu, Mr Gbenga Aruleba, Mr Yushau Shuaib and Mr Ben Okezie.
Kabir Abdulsalam
