Defence Minister seeks more media support for military

The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, has called for synergy between security agencies and the media, to enhance national security.

The minister made the call at the National workshop on Civil-Military Relations held on Thursday in Kaduna.

Dan Ali said the workshop, with the theme ‘Civil Military Relations and the Media in Contemporary Polity’, was meant to create new ways of engagement between the two, to deepen understanding and patriotism.

The minister noted that military activities are no longer exclusively about defeating an adversary, but also creating safe environment for comprehensive and inclusive post conflict political and social order.

“The post modern soldier is not only a fighter but a peacekeeper, Policeman, Diplomat, social worker and peace corps worker for the purpose of underscoring the significance of civil-military relations as a management tool in the defense sector of any nation”.

He said the media on the other hand “is not only skeptical, intrusive, freewheeling and entrepreneural by it’s nature, it also responds to the basic tenets to bring to public scrutiny the actions of government, which also includes the Military and other security agencies.”

Danali lamented that divergent orientation and mode of operation between the military and media have created incessant frictions instead of uniting for the common goal of protecting the interest of the country.

The minister however stressed that no matter the situation, the Military must at all times be conscious of the law and be guided by rules of engagement which demands granting reasonable access and ensuring adequate protection for media practitioners.

He also asked journalists to always be guided by their professional ethics, corporate social responsibility and related principles of responsible and developmental journalism.

He added that the Media has a duty to exercise restrain about the content of reports on Frontline situations, to avoid feeding the public with graphic facts and sensitive information that may strengthen the enemy camp at the detriment of legitimate State authorities.

He urged the workshop participants to come up with framework for enhanced synergy among the two institutions in order to efficiently combat the rising level of crimes and criminality in Nigeria.