By Linus Aleke, Abuja
A group operating under the umbrella of Defence Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (DECAN), has charged the Nigerian Military to respect media independence, as guaranteed by the constitution of Nigeria.
The group also tasked the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), to respond swiftly to questions from reporters, to effectively counter the spread of misinformation.
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In a communique issued after its one day seminar on non-kinetic approach to the fight against insurgency and terrorism, the group said: “In the age of rapid information dissemination, a prompt and well-coordinated response becomes increasingly critical to negate the impact of misinformation on public perception and overall security efforts”.
This is as the communique observed that the notion of the traditional war relying heavily on kinetic means is gradually being relegated, and hence, the need to possess and apply non-kinetic approaches to project power, secure interests and solve problems.
Jointly signed by the group’s President, Mr. Ismail Musa and the Chairman, Seminar Organizing Committee, Mr. Sifon Essien, the communique further observed that, “Nigeria, being a diverse and complex nation confronted with a myriad of security threats, there is a need for concerted efforts to effectively address the prevailing situations”.
The association therefore recommend that “there is a need to ensure effective communications between the military and media.The constitution grants the media independence and that independence must be respected.There is a need to embed journalists in operations without jeopardizing the operations of the military. The involvement of the media in the planning and implementation of operations will improve trust and mutual understanding”.
Others recommendations include, “the military should step up engagement with key leaders of various communities and stakeholders, especially those that are directly affected by insecurity to win their hearts and minds. In the era of social media, where citizens are increasingly curious about the conduct of military operations, the military needs to collaborate with traditional media to offer clarity and context amid the uncensored information circulating on social platforms”.
The association also urged the military to step up its operations and ensure they are ahead of the non-state actors by ensuring that unprovoked attacks on citizens, wanton killings, and destruction of properties are eradicated.
