… As AHQ Dept of Civil-Military Affairs Holds Media Chat
In a bid to keep the media abreast with activities of the Nigerian Army, and to also highlight their roles in addressing insecurity in the country, the Army Headquarters (AHQ) Department of Civil-Military Affairs(DCMA) on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, held its first-quarter media chat.
The media chat held at the Army Headquarters Annex, with the theme, ”Media as a Critical Tool in Addressing Insecurity in Nigeria”, revealed that the media has a great role to play by disseminating the right information to the populace, to win the fight against insecurity.
In his opening remarks, the Chief of Civil-Military Affairs, Maj-Gen. Markus Ghinga Kangye said the 2022 media chat was organized to keep the media informed of the Nigerian Army’s civil-military cooperation and activities, as a means of eliminating rumours, as well as providing accurate and timely information in line with international best practices.
He also noted that the event was temporarily suspended in February 2020, following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding, however, that it has become necessary to resume the chat since the situation has now improved.
“This first quarter 2022 edition is unique and timely as it is the first post COVID-19 media chat. This forum, no doubt presents an avenue for the department to engage the media practitioners for better understanding to chart a mutually benefiting relationship to improve media reportage and the non-kinetic lines of the Nigerian Army Operations”, he said.
While noting that the Nigerian Army adheres strictly to the principles and respect for human rights in the discharge of its constitutional mandate, he implored the participants to utilize the opportunity to further concretize the already existing relationship between the media and the Nigerian Army, and to clear grey areas in the Army civil-military relationship.
Giving highlights on the activities of the AHQ DCMA, the Director, Psychological Operations, DCMA, Brig-Gen. Ojogbane Adegbe stated that Nigerians are kept abreast with the activities of the Nigerian Army, geared towards confronting the myriads of security challenges facing the country through the media and the non-kinetic approach to gain the support of the populace.
He also explained that the media has an important role in propagating the current Nigerian Army non-kinetic approach and engagements with the civilian populace in addressing current security challenges.
“We are all stakeholders, just as members of the press are stakeholders, you have the responsibility to report correctly because Nigeria is the only country we have”, he said.
Furthermore, the Director, Corporate Affairs and Information, Nigerian Army Resource Center, Brig-Gen Sani Kukasheku Usman (rtd) while giving a lecture on the topic, “Media Operations in Contemporary Warfare: Operation HADIN KAI in perspective”, noted that modern or contemporary warfare can no longer be won on the battlefields alone, adding also that the need to dominate the information environment through the dissemination of compelling narratives that could engender public support is central to the success of any military operations.
He emphasized that there is a need to examine the impact of the media on the Nigerian Army’s various operations, especially as it relates to the ongoing operation HADIN KAI, pointing out also that it is vital to acknowledge the critical role of the media, particularly social media in our lives and on all theatres of operations, including operation HADIN KAI.
He recommended that “The media should exercise high sense of responsibility and patriotism in reporting military and security forces operational activities; the military and security forces must cooperate to provide all necessary information to the media in the national interest; there should be a clear communication strategy for the Armed Forces of Nigeria to suit contemporary operational realities; and the media should prevent the terrorists from spreading fear by spreading such terrorists’ news stories in more professional, responsible and enlightened way devoid of emotions or sensationalism”.
The media chat had representatives of the Director of Army Public Relations, Director, Defence Information, Department of Army Training, Department of Administration, Department of Operations, as well as Journalists from different media organizations in attendance.
The AHQ Department of Civil-Military Affairs was established on December 6, 2010, as a child of necessity to strengthen the civil-military relationship and it seeks to achieve this through Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC), visits, effective liaison, advocacy, and mediation as well as seminars and workshops with different strata of the Nigerian society.
Culled from The Sight News
