The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, Wednesday, solicited the support of the media for military operations across the country.
General Irabor stated this during a parley with media executives and editors with the theme, “Role of Media Executives and Editors in National Security and Conflict Sensitive Communication” held at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Abuja.
Irabor said the meeting was informed by the fact that both the military and the media pursue common cause of freedom and liberty.
He said the engagement would help the military and the media to be on the same page.
The military chief said that both the military and the media have roles to play in nation building.
“All along, it is we versus them but I am hopeful that at the end of this parley today, you will no longer see yourself as we versus them.
“Rather, it 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 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 meets this challenge,” he said.
Speaking, the Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. 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.
He said that the leadership of the armed forces viewed media executives, editors and bureau chiefs as critical stakeholders that could not be ignored.
He said the meeting was conceptualised to build sustainable trust and confidence of the media as the military conduct its operations and engagements.
Akpor noted that the society approach, which the CDS had continued to advocate, was a sure way to go in overcoming various forms of security challenges confronting our nation.
He noted that with the collaboration and understanding between the armed forces and the media, both parties would henceforth be on the same page in matters of defence 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 on issues of national security and conflict sensitive management are generating debate,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that top executives from both government owned and private media organisations attended the meeting.
