By Chuks Oyema-Aziken, Abuja
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, has charged the media to join the military build a secured nation where citizens can pursue their aspirations without fear.
He made the call at a parley with top media Executives with the theme, “Role of Media Executives and Editors in National Security and Conflict Sensitive Communication” on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said the media, like the military, has defined role in the pursuit of national security.
He said the engagement would help the military and the media to be in the same page, adding that everyone had a role to play in nation building and contributing to creating the ambience for the socio-economic development of the nation.
“All along, it is we versus them but I am hopeful that at the end of this parley today, you will no linger see yourself as we versus them, rather, will be an engagement about us and engagement about what binds us which is Nigeria.
“What so ever influences one may have outside the shore either the territorial or space of Nigeria, we must begin to understand that you are the best person to keep Nigeria safe.
“No one outside of this shores loves you better than you love yourself because you are the one that meet this challenge,” he said.
The Director, Defence Information, Major General Jimmy Akpor, said the CDS considered media executives as most worthy to interface with, considering their standing in the spectrum of the media space.
Akpor said the media had the cardinal role to play in advancing the cause of national security, while the leadership of the armed forces viewed media executives, editors and bureau chiefs as critical stakeholders that could not be ignored.
He said the parley was conceptualized to build sustainable trust and confidence of the media as the military conduct its operations and engagements.
According to him, there is no gainsaying that whole of society approach which the CDS has continued to advocate is a sure way to go in our commitment to overcoming various forms of security challenges confronting our nation.
“This will therefore no doubt open a new Vista of collaboration and understanding between the armed forces and the media as both parties will henceforth be in the same phase in matters of defense and national security.
“At the end of the deliberations, media executives, editors, bureau chiefs are in better position to set right the agenda for public discourse when the issues of national security and conflict sensitive management are generating debate,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer, The Media Today International, Charles Odenigbo, said the interface would mark a new beginning for military and media relationship in Nigeria.
According to Odenigbo, a road map would be developed at the end of the parley for clear understanding of the roles of the media in national security matters and conflict sensitive communication.
He observed that between public interest and national interest, the editors or media would definitely have to contend with the code of ethics because the functions of the armed forces are very clear and the duties of the media are also very clear.
“The media is constantly looking for information backed by concrete evidence, concrete facts and they must be time bound because time is the oxygen of the Newsroom. “What role or any of what role can be media play in governance of the security sector in Nigeria; what obstacle hinders the media’s ability to provide effective oversight of security institutions,” he said.
