By Hassan Zaggi
The Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi, has called on the media to avoid reports that could incite or generate tension in the country.
He, however, advised them to support the government to ensure that they generate report that will bring peace and unity in the country.
The Minister stated this when the officials of the Crime Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CCRAN) led by their chairman, Hassan Zaggi, paid him a courtesy visit in his office, recently.
“We need your support and cooperation to ensure that you generate positive reports that will bring peace and unity in the country. Not reports that will incite or generate tension on issues that are far from being issues of concern,” the Minister said.
Dingyadi, however, disclosed that the federal government is committed to ensuring that the security agencies perform their roles of securing the lives and property of all Nigerians better.
The Minister however, noted that despite the current efforts of the security agencies, there was need for them to do more to ensure that Nigerians in all parts of the country are safe.
“On the pattern or the way things are happening, there are many security challenges the security agencies are facing.
“For example, what happened in Katsina and the way the security agencies swiftly intervened and ensure that the boys regained their freedom and many other things that the security agencies are doing that are not being reported.
“However, despite all the efforts the security agencies are putting, there is the need for more efforts for better improvement on the part of the security agencies.
“I want to assure you that the government is committed to this and Mr President has put in place all the necessary conducive environment to ensure that the security agencies perform creditably well so that we beat all these challenges as they come.
“Even before the EndSARS protest last year, Mr President approved the establishment of the Police Trust Fund that is saddled with the responsibility of generating funds to finance training and retraining of police officers, provision of equipment and modern day technology to fight crime and the 2020 Police Act was signed into law.
“It is intended to rejuvenate the police force to make them more capable of facing the challenges of insecurity in the country.
“These are all efforts in addition to the various administrative policies and directives that have been given, particularly during the EndSARS protest to ensure that whatever is supposed to be done is put in place to ensure peace and security of the country.
“Government is doing its best, as you are aware, security is everyone’s business, particularly, the Crime Correspondents, like yourselves.
Earlier, the Chairman, Crime Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CCRAN), Malam Hassan Zaggi, said that the visit was to solicit the support of the ministry to enable the journalists covering the ministry do their job better.
He noted that lack of adequate and timely information could generate unnecessary tension between the ministry and the media, which, according to him, is not good.
“Most times, it is not that Ministers or chief executives don’t put in their best, but if what they do is not visible through the media, Nigerians tend to think that they are not doing anything. We want to ensure that this gap is blocked.
“Whatever you do, henceforth, within our reach, we will ensure that it gets to Nigerians.
“We also want to appeal that we get an open door from the ministry so that we can get the require information at the right time.
“Most times, we find it difficult to get the required information at the right time and that, most times brings, some friction between the journalists and the organization. This is not proper.
“We want to appeal that the ministry gives us open hand to enable us discharge our duty the way it should be,” he said.
