The chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede has said that media collaboration with the Nigerian military was important in the fight against insecurity.
Speaking at a training workshop organized for journalists by the First Green White Resources in collaboration with the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, Gen. Oluyede who was represented by Commodore Shaibu Mohammad, Deputy Director (Training Maritime) said the event was aimed at building bridges between the military and the media.
“In today’s complex security environment where we are confronted with insurgency, banditry and many other forms of criminality, the role of the media has become more crucial than ever,”;he said.
He also said that the stories published and the truth the media upholds about the activities of the military shape public perception and encourages unity even in diversity.
The CDS said these are essential pillars in the fight for peace and security in Nigeria, stating that the media is not just seen as channel of information but as a vital partner in nation building.
He urged the media to debunk misinformation and report accurately with more emphasis on integrity.
The Defence Chief said the armed forces remain committed to transparency, accountability and professionalism in a it’s operations.
He pleaded for media support, urging them to report responsibly in the interest of the nation.
Media has responsibility to unmask foreign collaborators – Ambassador Metchie
In his goodwill message, Ambassador John Metchie, African Director, International Association of World Peace Advocates, IAWPA said Nigeria is at a point in history where all hands must be on deck to steer the ship of state to safe and glorious destination.
He said that for some years now, “we have been faced with the multifaceted challenge of insecurity, growing terrorism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom and other criminalities. It’s true that insecurity is not a problem peculiar to Nigeria alone but a global plaque in every nation of the world.
He, was, however, quick to say that what makes the Nigerian own case peculiar is the fact that those attacking the citizens are their own fellow country men who are working in collaboration with some foreign elements to destabilize the country.
He said there are revelations from experts and the military that some foreign interests are actively involved in the Nigerian security problem.
“My simple challenge to Nigerian journalists, therefore, is to be patriotic and brave enough to unravel and expose foreigners that are established in destabilizing African most populous nation.
“I urge Nigerian journalists to rise up and live out the true meaning of their name as agender setting agents of the nation by exposing Nigerian politicians and leaders who are colluding with foreigners and local criminals to destroy our country.
“We need to identify these unpatriotic elements and stop them from finding themselves at vantage leadership positions in our country.
“I want to use this opportunity to commend the chief of Defence staff, the Service Chiefs and all officers and men of the Nigerian military for the successes recorded in the fight against insecurity under the able leadership of president Bola Ahmad Tinubu.
“Let me also commend the facilitators of the event, Bonaventure Melah for thinking Nigeria first as well as the Defence headquarters for the collaboration in ensuring journalists are trained.”;
Also speaking at the event, the Director General, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, represented by the Director of news, Husseina Akila Bangshika, said most times, the editors and reporters are misunderstood to be anti-government, forgetting that no one can be a journalist when he or she is not patriotic.
She said this is so because one can’t practice in a vacuum. She argued that it’s the sense of patriotism that drives one into the practice of journalism.
“That is why the constitution gives you an important hierarchy as the fourth estate of the realm even though there is no budget attached like the other arms of the government who receive budgetary allocations.”;
While commending the training organizers, she said the issue of insecurity was key as there was the need to have a country to practice as journalists.
She said since journalists cannot practice in a vacuum, they must practice within a sovereign nation, expressing optimism that the interaction at the event will go a long way in achieving positive result in the fight against insecurity.
Lamenting the supreme price the military had paid in the course of tackling insurgency, she said the only thing journalists can do is to support them to attain a better country.
Others who spoke at the event with the theme “Contemporary Challenges in Journalism and the Military’s Responsibility to Defend Nigeria’s Territorial Integrity, were former Executive Director, Voice of Nigeria, Ahazia Suleiman, Ambassador Simeon Uwa, Ambassador to the West African Monetary Zone and others.
In his closing remarks, the CEO of First Green White Resources, Bonaventure Melah urged journalists to uphold professionalism and be proud of their profession, stressing on the importance of continuous collaboration with the security agencies in order to end insurgency and other security issues.
