By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has appealed to Nigerians not to demoralise the troops, but to appreciate the sacrifices they are making to secure the country from terrorists and other criminal elements.
The CDS, who made this appeal during his maiden media parley with the Defence Correspondent in Abuja, also expressed regrets over the publication of his obituary without any attempt to verify the veracity or otherwise of the false information.
He noted that the security challenges confronting us as a nation, affect every one of us, and therefore not the task of the military alone to confront it.
General Musa also appealed to communities not to shield the criminals but to report their movement to the military or other security agencies.
According to him, “Daily, members of the security forces are dying, and we don’t remember that the troops are sacrificing so much for the peace we enjoy. I want to appeal to you to please avoid demoralizing the troops. They are there in the sun and the rain, morning and night, away from their families, and sometimes even killed and injured and yet insulted by those they are sacrificing their lives for. We are all humans and we know what the tendencies of such action against the troops would be. They could say, okay, since they are not appreciated, then it is no longer their business, and that will be dangerous for the country. So, whatever we are doing let us remember that there are people out there keeping vigil so that we can sleep and wake up and go about our legitimate businesses”.
Expressing disappointment over the publication of his obituary in an online news portal, General Musa said: “Let us be highly professional in our reportage. Whenever there are issues, don’t hesitate to get across to us for clarification. I want to specifically mention the publication of my death, by a particular news outlet. I was alarmed, not because my picture was there or because they said I was dead because I know, nobody can take my life except when God said so. But a situation whereby a channel exists through which a reporter can clarify whatever information he has and still go ahead with such publication without recourse to the existing channel of communication is worrisome. We are left with the question of the internment of such a story, what was it intended to achieve? We run an open-door policy that the reporter should have reached out to authenticate his report before going public. Such an act is highly unprofessional and we don’t want to have any conflict with the media. If there are issues, reach out to us, if we err, we are going to accept our mistake, like the Kaduna incident. We always want the truth to be out, it might be bitter sometimes but, the truth is always one and it makes it easier. If you lie about any issue, you must create other stories to cover the lie”.
Earlier in his address of welcome, the Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau said, the role of the media in nation-building cannot be overemphasized.
He noted that as the fourth estate of the realm, the media has been the watchdog of the society and this noble role has its implications to the national security.
The need to partner closely with the media, General Gusau said, is very important, stressing that it is against this backdrop that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), consider the media as an important ally.
He urged defence correspondents to take maximum advantage of the media parley to educate the public on the leadership style of the Chief of Defence Staff which is people-centric.
He noted that the media as a force multiplayer in the effort of the armed forces of Nigeria to win the hearts and minds of the populace, plays a critical and noble role.
