FRI, DEC 22 2023-theGBJournal|The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has requested the military to reintroduce the programme of embedding journalists in military operations to provide firsthand insight into the theatre of operations thereby fostering a more informed and balanced narrative.
Idris made the request in Abuja on Friday when he received the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa on a courtesy visit to his office.
The CDS, General Musa, said the visit to the Minister is part of their non-kinetic operations to build synergy between the military and the media because the challenges of asymmetric warfare being waged by the military, are people-centric where both the military and the criminals are fighting for the hearts and minds of Nigerians.
“This is part of the lines of operations that we are conducting to build synergy between the Armed Forces and members of the public and there is nowhere to start better than where information emanates from,” he said.
He called for the support of the public in the war against insurgency, terrorism, and banditry, stressing that the war is a collective endeavor of all Nigerians to defeat criminal elements challenging the sovereignty of the country.
Earlier, the Minister, told the CDS that the promotion of patriotism and nationalism is a strategic approach to curb violent crimes such as banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism in the country.
“The concept of nationalism, nationhood, and patriotism must return, for us to have the unity and prosperity that all of us seek. We have seen a gradual erosion of our values – those values need to be reclaimed and we have to recover our senses as Nigerians.
“We need to go back to the drawing board and see where we got it wrong with the aim of getting it right this time around.
“I thank you so much for coming. We think that the collaboration that you require is for all of us to come together so that we fight insurgency and forge unity, development, and peace in this country. There is no way you can successfully fight this war without a frontal role for the Nigerian Media and Nigerians themselves,” he said.
Idris noted that violent crimes have adversely impacted the image of Nigeria hence the ministry bears the responsibility to manage and reshape the narrative about the country.
He stressed that information management is critical to the fight against insurgency, adding that collaboration between the Ministry and the Military is crucial to forge a narrative that strengthens national security and launder the country’s image.
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