The Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria, Mr Ali Muhammad Ali, during a two-day roundtable organised by the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) in collaboration with Development Specs Academy.
Stakeholders in the security and media sectors on Tuesday in Abuja, called for social reorientation of Nigerians in tackling insecurity in the country.
The experts made the call in their submissions at the end of a two-day roundtable organised by the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC) in collaboration with Development Specs Academy.
The theme of the event is: “Asymmetrical National Security Challenges, the Army and National Development”.
Executive Director, Development Specs Academy (DSA), Prof. Okey Ikechukwu, said that the country had security challenges that were no longer easy to deal with following traditional methods.
“As such, there is the need for a social reorientation of citizens to divulge information on threats in their communities to security agencies.
“It is about a progressive change of social attitude about security at the level of awareness, at the level of people knowing that I should have an interest in securing myself. So I should tell persons responsible when I see danger.”
He said that to deal with the nature of Nigeria’s insecurity, it would require social reorientation, having greater partnerships with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) and community-based organisations.
“More importantly, education and reeducation of youth leaders. If they become part of the conversation, they will be in a position to tell those who don’t know what to do with themselves, we give them what to do.
“In our village, you notice a stranger, you tell the traditional ruler, they go to the police, that’s what enables security agencies to operate.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab (Rtd), said the objective of the roundtable was to foster military-media cooperation and understanding.
Represented by Maj.-Gen. James Miyam (Rtd), Wahab said the media should continuously propagate what the Nigerian Army was doing and by so doing elicit community support among Nigerian citizens.
“What came out in the roundtable table is that there is an overarching need for perception management by media managers.
“This is for them to understand and balance the need for them to carry out their responsibilities well,” has said, adil that community and citizen support was critical to the operational activities of the army.
“So, we are trying to now sensitise the entire Nigerian citizenry on the need for them to come where they have information that can enhance operational activities of the military.
“They should not shy away, they should quickly come forward and give this information,” he said.
On his part, the Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Ali Muhammad Ali, spoke on the topic ‘Professional News Management as Panacea for Infodemics, Misinformation and Fake news”.
He said the media globally, played a very important role in practically every aspect of life.
“In an increasingly shrinking global space marked by exponential growth in media convergence and artificial intelligence, the dampeners of infodemics, misinformation and fake news have all but assumed lives of their own.
“This development rightly ought to be a source of concern and it is gratifying that NARC and the Development Specs Academy, have given this issue more than cursory attention,” Ali said.
He said that Infodemics as defined by David Rothkopf, a journalist and political scientist, “is a few facts, mixed with fear, speculation and rumor, amplified and relayed swiftly worldwide by modern information technologies”.
Ali said that infodemics was now dominating national life where purveyors of misinformation and fake news turned little facts on their heads to achieve a predetermined end.
Proffering solutions to infodemics and misinformation, the MD of NAN said that truthfulness and accuracy must be upheld.
“We must also be timely in countering misinformation. This entails striking a balance between speedily responding and the volume of information available”.
For a former spokesman of the army, Brig.-Gen. Sani Kukasheka Usman (Rtd), there was the need to improve the relationship between the Nigerian Army and the public.
This, he said was to have a better understanding and appreciation of the sacrifices and the efforts of the Nigerian Army in dealing with the security challenges in the country and defending its own territorial integrity.
He also said that non-violence communication could be integrated in the overall communication strategy of the army in dealing with their relationship with the public.
In his submission, a traditional ruler from Delta, Prof. Echefuna Onyebeadi said that in spite of the overwhelming evidence of the importance of traditional rulers in the management of national security, there existed some challenges that mitigate their proper functioning in national security.
“One of the challenges is lack of constitutional role. The constitution does not make any specific provision for the role of traditional rulers in this country”.
While expressing sadness over ‘security votes’ to state governors without much results in the fight against insecurity, Onyebeadi said that if part of the votes “trickle down to the traditional domain, it would aid national security.
On the part of the NGO, Executive Director, Hedda Beautiful Hands Ltd, Hope Ayabina, suggested that the military should get involved with the activities of NGOs.
“They should teach them a skill or two; security skills preferably- that in itself, can be a tool for intelligence gathering.”
Similarly, Head of Legal and Training Services at DSA, Margaret Agbo, said the key strategies and methods that could be adopted in effective grassroots intelligence gathering included community engagement.
“This is in order to establish relationships and build trust”.
She also said that regular engagements with various levels of the local leadership, influencers and elders would help gain deep insights into various aspects of what held the community together. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)