The Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin has called for partnership between the military and the media as part of measures towards combating the security challenges confronting the nation.
Olonisakin who gave the charge in his opening address at seminar tagged, ‘Enhancing National Security and Cohesion through Responsive Media Reportage’ in Abuja, observed that propaganda remained the oxygen that sustained terrorism.
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He therefore charged the media professionals to be circumspect in the reportage of security issues, saying national interest should take precedence over other considerations.
“I want to use this opportunity to urge the media and all other stakeholders to see themselves as partners with the Armed Forces towards solving the various security challenges facing our nation. I am convinced that such partnership could be encouraged by interaction at fora such as this, which is geared towards strengthening the existing relationship amongst stakeholders.
“Let me reiterate that the media serves as veritable tool towards winning the hearts and minds of the citizenry there propagating non-kinetic measures to solve security issues”, he said.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Acting Director of Defence Information, Onyema Nwachukwu, said the Seminar was conceptualized in response to the need to constantly enhance the capacity of media practitioners covering the Defence beat to discharge their responsibilities more effectively.
