The Chief Executive Officer of Guardian Newspaper, Toke Ibru has said that for there to be a cordial relationship between the military in their fight against insecurity in the country, the military should be open to the media.
Ibru, who said this in a keynote address he presented during the Fourth Quarter 2024 Media Chat held in Enugu Thursday with a theme: “Military and Media Relationship: A Panacea for Enhanced National Security and Development,” organised by the Nigerian Army Military Cooperation, said the media needed to liaise with the military and furnish them with necessary information.
Praising the media practitioners, Ibru said it was the media that fought colonialism, military dictatorship and would as well fight violent armed groups that seek to destabilise the country.
Ibru, who was Special Guest of Honour, however, said he was not unmindful of some media practitioners who might have ulterior motives to destabilise national security, but that when furnished with necessary information, misinformation would be curtailed.
“The majority of media practitioners are capable of showing understanding and would refrain from publishing things that are clearly inimical to national security, but this can only happen if they have access to those that would convince them of this national security implication,” he said.
He noted that inability to be open to the media breeds mistrust and misinformation on the part of the media, and for this reason, the military should carry the media along in their operations.
“Indeed misinformation thrives where there is scarcity of correct information on the true military. The military must make its higher leadership more accessible to the media so that its side of the story is better understood.”
The Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Olugemi Oluyede, represented by the GOC, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, Gen. Hassan Dada, stressed the need for effective reportage of military operations by the media, noting that “misinformation does not augur well for the military, media and the Nigerian populace.”
He said, “Our nation is facing a lot of security challenges. The military remains steadfast in protecting the nation,” pointing out that there should be regular interaction with the media to avoid ambiguity.
“It is crucial to avoid misinformation and enhance national understanding. I call on all Nigerians to support the Nigerian Army and the media should accurately report the military operations.”
