CDS Musa seeks military, media synergy to defeat Boko Haram, other crimes

By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

The Chief of Defense (CDS) Staff, General Christopher Musa has said that the synergy betwixt subject and the media indispensable beryllium viewed arsenic not optional, but arsenic strategical and indispensable partners to extremity the combat against Boko Haram terrorists and beforehand nationalist unity, sphere bid and support the antiauthoritarian values.

The CDS stated this connected Wednesday astatine the One -Day 3rd Quarter Media Stakeholders Seminar themed: ‘Consolidating Media- Military Synergy for Sustainable Peace successful Nigeria’, which was organized by the Directorate of Defence Media Operations, Defence Headquarters which took spot astatine Nigerian Army Officers’ Mess and Suite, Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, Borno state.

Represented by the Director of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Markus Kangye who is the Chief Host, General Musa explained that the Nigerian Armed Forces person remained steadfast successful their law mandate to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.

He noted with appreciation that the assorted theatres of operations crossed the state with gallant men and women person continued to marque tremendous sacrifices, often nether hard and unsafe conditions, to support the state harmless and secured.

However, helium said, “military operations are not conducted successful a vacuum, hence the request to prosecute with the media by utilizing accusation management, nationalist perception, and strategical connection that are captious arsenic the combat component”.

He further stated that, going forward, bid and information cannot beryllium sustained by unit alone, stressing “they indispensable beryllium nurtured done affirmative narratives, civic engagement, and inclusive communication. This is wherever the media person a unsocial and almighty relation to play”.

General Musa portion assuring the subject of continued enactment and punctual proviso of their welfare, besides utilized the accidental and commend the Theatre Commander, OPHK, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar and his troops for their unwavering sacrifices, arsenic good arsenic the feat achieved truthful acold successful defeating remnants of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists successful the North East wide country of responsibility.

In his Keynote address, the Theatre Commander, Joint Task Force North East ‘Operation Hadin Kai’ (OPHK), Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar reiterated that, the subject and the media indispensable enactment manus successful manus to support territorial integrity, confronts insurgencies and support lives and spot of the citizenry.

He said, implicit the years, Nigeria has faced respective multidimensional information challenges from insurgency successful the Northeast to banditry, militancy, and communal clashes. These crises, Abubakar noted, are not lone fought connected the battlefield but besides successful the domain of nationalist perception, wherever the media plays a greater role.

The Theatre Commander added that, to code immoderate of these challenges, determination indispensable beryllium structured and timely connection betwixt the subject and the media. Spokespersons connected some sides indispensable run wrong wide protocols to guarantee accusation is accurate, verified, and responsibly disseminated.

Unfortunately, astatine times, according to him “misinformation,
sensationalism, and deficiency of entree to verified accusation person hampered subject operations and endangered nationalist security.

“These challenges indispensable beryllium confronted not by pointing fingers but by gathering bridges. To consolidate media-military synergy for sustainable peace, we indispensable prosecute a fig of strategical actions. There indispensable beryllium structured and timely connection betwixt the subject and the media. Spokespersons connected some sides indispensable run wrong wide protocols to guarantee accusation is accurate, verified, and responsibly disseminated.

“Journalists indispensable beryllium trained periodically successful conflict-sensitive reporting and strategical communication, portion subject unit should beryllium sensitized connected media relations and the worth of property freedom. .

“Therefore, successful consolidating media-military synergy, we are not lone strengthening our nationalist information framework, we are besides cultivating the precise ungraded from which bid tin turn and thrive. May this gathering people a caller section wherever the pen and the sword, the lens and the uniform, enactment manus successful manus for the Nigeria we each judge in”. General Abubakar stated.

Earlier successful his speech, the Special Guest of Ho...