Paschal Emeka, Abuja / Posted December 6, 2023
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has charged media practitioners to actively involve in promoting peace and national unity through objective reporting.
The Army Chief spoke at the 2023 Media Workshop, on Tuesday, December 5, organized by the Directorate of Army Public Relations and the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information (NASPRI).
Lieutenant General Lagbaja stressed the media’s critical role in shaping and influencing public narratives and garnering support for the armed forces.
The theme of the workshop was “Harnessing the Potentials of Media for Effective Military Operations within a Joint Environment,” provided a platform for “elaborate discussions, cross fertilization of ideas, clarifications and appreciable synergy” among participants, he said.
The COAS was represented at the workshop by the Commander Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare Command, Major General Adeleke Ayannuga
He expressed confidence that the caliber of resource persons and the workshop’s focus on joint operations would generate new ideas to enhance national security.
Lagbaja specifically called on participants to leverage the knowledge gained to combat criminal activities that threaten national unity.
He stressed the importance of effective information sharing and collaboration across all stakeholders, highlighting this as the key to achieving “workable strategy and enhanced mutual support.”
Recall that the Army Chief’s passion for public relations was evidently clear in his decision to establish a state-of-the-art NASPRI school, recognizing it as the “factory that produces the manpower capacity for the image makers of Nigerian Army.”
He also pledged continued development of the school to bring it on par with global institutions, commending the organizers for hosting the workshop at such a crucial time.
Acting NASPRI Commandant Lt. Col.Adamu Ngulde echoed the Army Chief’s commitment, stating that the workshop’s theme aligns perfectly with Lagbaja’s vision of transforming the Nigerian Army into a “Well-trained, Equipped and Highly Motivated Force.”
He further emphasized the media’s pivotal role in modern warfare, urging participants to embrace their responsibility as partners in national security.
“The urgent need to eliminate and avoid media antipathy cannot be over emphasized as its implications pose greater threats on national security.
“This is necessary because the security challenges confronting our dear nation require a robust synergy between the security agencies and the media while playing their various roles in maintaining national security.
“The consequences of discordant relationship between security agencies and the media can culminate into increased public apathy or diminished public trust in the abilities of security agencies to perform their constitutional roles.
“The engagement of the military in internal security operations has exposed them to operational challenges arising from day to day process in carrying out their duty. Thus the need to woo public support through winning the hearts and minds of the populace for the success of these operations becomes inevitable.
“In order to achieve this, the media is the perfect tool that cannot be replaced”, he stated.