Authority of the Nigerian Army has organised a workshop to train social media, bloggers and online editors in Sokoto on how to report security issues.
The representative of the
Nigerian Army who is also the Chief of Civil-Military Affairs, Major General US Mohammed, disclosed that the workshop was initiated in 2018, to sensitive the general public especially social media handlers on the activities of the army.
According to him, “let me state here that this workshop which started in 2018 at Port Harcourt is the Nigerian Army’s way of interacting with the civil populace to foster a harmonious and cordial Civil-Military Relationship.
“It is also expected to be a continuous event that will enable the Nigerian Army to receive feedback on how to serve the Nigerian populace better.
“There is no doubt that this forum will again provide us the necessary and needed opportunity to freely interact, discuss, share ideas and rub minds particularly towards the eradication of the fake news syndrome.
“We also acknowledge the fact that you all have very important roles to play in the development of Peace and Security in this country.
“It is very obvious that what you say, the way you say it and how its spreads have far-reaching implications than most of us are aware of because the social media has a very crucial role to play in support of the Nigerian Army’s non-kinetic line of operations.
He further explained that the event is also expected to provide an avenue for Nigerian Army to enlighten social media influence about developments in the Nigerian Army, saying, a lot is been done through the Department of Civil-Military Affairs since its inception in 2010 to bridge the perceived gap of divide with the civil populace and in winning the hearts and minds of the populace.
“As a respected organization, the Nigerian Army believes in touching the lives of the average citizens for the better in addition to its constitutional roles and as part of it’s cooperate social responsibilities.
“For instance, in the area of community outreaches through Quick Impact Projects, the Nigerian Army in the last 5 years have carried out more than 100 Civil Military Related Projects all aimed at bridging the gap with the civil populace and ensuring the Nigerian Army is seen in a positive light.
“We are very much aware of the power of cyberspace. Modern wars are fought using cyberspace and social media acting as hazardous weapons which have the capability of influencing and shaping the opinions of people, thereby having a critical outcome in the battle being fought.
“There is so much that social media can do in supporting the Nigerian Army’s operations across the country. A case in point is in the fight against insurgency.
“The truth is, the Nigerian Army is making giant strides and having the upper hand in dealing with terrorists and insurgents. But such efforts are always under-reported.
“We have celebrated the place of making headlines that will scare people rather than headlines to celebrate the gallantry efforts of our troops thereby giving confidence to the insurgents.
“But I want to believe that all these will change from today as you begin to see the efforts of the Nigerian Army and the many successes it has recorded in the fight against terrorism and insurgency and ensuring there is peace, security, and stability in the nation”
The army chief, however, believes that the interactive session will make the citizens better informed about the Nigerian Army and will also imbibe in the spirit of patriotism towards the realization of a prosperous Nigeria of our dream.
“It is, therefore, no mistake that the theme of this interactive session is aptly captured as “Civil-Military Relations: The Evolving Role of the Social Media in support of the Nigerian Army’s -Non-Kinetic line of Operations”.