Security: NAF wants Journalists to understand technicalities of military operations
NAN-DS-8
Journalists
By Doris Esa
Abuja, March 8, 2018 (NAN) The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says Journalists should understand the nuances and technicalities involved in military operations as the Nation strives to restore peace in all parts of the country.
The Chief of Administration, NAF, AVM Ibrahim Yahaya, stated this at a workshop on “Air Power” organised for Defence Correspondents in Abuja.
“There is growing need now, more than ever before, for journalists to understand the nuances and technicalities involved in military operations as the Nation strives to restore peace in all parts of the country,” Yahaya said.
He said that he was happy about the workshop because information management was critical to national development.
“ Information management in today’s world is critical to national development and the way it is processed could affect national security positively or negatively.
“A Defence Correspondent must, therefore, understand and indeed know the terminologies associated with his beat to enable him to report events professionally,” he said.
He said that it was in line with this thinking that the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, authorised the NAF Directorate of Information to organise the training workshop.
He said that the training was to acquaint journalists with the technical knowledge needed for them to report the activities and operations of the NAF more effectively.
“ Just as it is often said that a man cannot give what he does not have, so also will a Defence Correspondent with inadequate knowledge about the military not be able to analyse NAF operations effectively,” he said.
“On my part as the Chief of Administration, be rest assured of my continued support to the Gentlemen of the Press as we work together to build a better country for all of us,” Yahaya said.
The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information,AVM Olatokunbo Adesanya, noted that the military and media had great roles to play in working together for the good of the country.
“The military and media are actually partners in nation building; the media are the conscience of the people,” Adesanya said.
He said that the media had the responsibility to always report what was right.
He urged the media to always seek clarification on issues where there was doubt before going public.
“Journalism is about national development, we have the responsibility to report the truth, ” the director said.
He noted that the country was currently facing security challenges, saying that it was time for all (military and the media) to sit down and work together.
He said that if NAF belonged to everyone, then NAF should be accountable to Nigerians.
“That is why NAF tries to put everything out to the people; it is important that Nigerians know what we are doing,” Adesanya said.(NAN)
ORD/YETI/AMY
Edited by Yetunde Bada/Abdullahi Yusuf