Chief Of Army Staff Second Quarter Media Chat Harps On How To Promote Global Civil-Military Relationship

Yakubu Busari

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen.Farouk Yahaya has disclosed that the quarterly media chat of the department of Civil-Military Affairs is to build synergy and foster unity and promote global base practice with media users on information dissemination on the rules of engagement within the military.

Represented by Maj. Gen.M.G.Kangye , the chief of civil-military affairs during the second quarter 2023 media chat at Crispan Patrick Hall Rayfield, Jos.

He said in line with the Nigeria Army revolution to transform the operations of the Nigerian army towards building relationships with the civilian populace the department has drifted the media practitioners to help inform the general public on the need to live together in harmony.

General Yahaya explained that to boost and foster civil-military relationships the department embark on advocacy visits in building confidence between the media practitioners and the Department of Civil-Military Affairs across the country.

He stressed further that they engage in human rights sensitization awareness campaigns to educate the Nigerian on troops’ human right violation in the fight against counter-terrorism.

However, we also ensure that the alleged abuse by the military in line with the duties was equally checked and scrutinized to avoid personnel confrontation on the line of performing their optimal function.

General Farouk Yahaya reiterated that the army formation also took statistics data that reveal that there has been a drastic reduction in the area of litigation after the establishment of the programs in 2010 -2016 respectively.

According to the chief of army Staff,” the development also addresses the misconception of non-kinetic approach with the Nigeria army and Civil-Military which is one of the challenges of the social media information dissimilation as fake news.

Provision of social safety and the involvement of NGOs to address the problem of insecurity in our desire to end insecurity and protect the sovereignty of this country, adding, the second quarter was to brief the media on the achievement so far recorded which had already better the understanding of the civil populace “, he explained.

He disclosed that Military action is a method used to attain a political goal while military affairs and political affairs are not identical, it is impossible to isolate one from the other.

Farouk Yahaya stated that the approve of this system of encouraging political discussion in the Army among soldiers as such…Discussions in which no controversy is desired are a farce. There cannot be controversy without prejudice to discipline. The only sound principle is “No politics in the Army.”

He emphasized that effective civil-military relationships that are fully consistent with our constitution and the powerful role the media will continue to play in the international arena are essential for the future security and welfare of all Nigerians.

In his opening address, Maj General Abdulsalami Bagudu Ibrahim stressed that the spreading of rumours and timely according to the information is one of the international base practices which is prominent amongst the population.

He said the major challenges of insecurity in Nigeria is corruption, economic imbalance, the collapse of the entire system, and rising cases of human right violation which led to unnecessary conflict.

He condemned the posting of photos of insecurity and reportage capable of triggering unnecessary tension in the country because the media helped to shape the opinion of the general public.