Effective collaboration with media is very sacrosanct as they help inform, educate and promote security as well as build and restore trust, Major General, Bemgha Koughna has said.
Major General Bemgha Koughna, who is the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division, Nigeria Army, Sokoto said the media sets agenda, and shapes public understanding of security operations, hence the need for insistence on truth and verified reportage.
While appealing to media practitioners to always verify informations with relevant authority before going public, Maj. Gen. kaughna stressed that timely and accurate information dissemination is vital in countering misinformation and sustaining peace.
Addressing leadership of the Sokoto State Correspondents’ Chapel who paid a courtesy visit on him at the 8 Div. Headquarters, the GOC said he would have hosted the media since assumption of office few months ago, but couldn’t because of the exigencies of work.
“I want to assure you that this Division, under my watch, is ready to have strong collaboration with journalists, especially the Correspondents’ Chapel.”
The visibly elated highly respected General, further assured that the 8. Division under his watch remain commited to maintaining open lines of communication and fostering professional working relationship with journalists in the state.
Speaking earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Ankeli Emmanuel, congratulated the GOC on his appointment, adding, members of the chapel who reports for National and International news platform from Sokoto State are ready to work closely with the Division for the attainment of a safer society.
Ankeli, who appealed to journalists to starve bad elements and enemies of the country by not featuring their nefarious acts, added that, featuring their beastly acts gives them the oxygen to thrive.
According to Ankeli, Nigerians across religion, creed affliction should continue to pray and appreciate our security agencies for their tireless sacrifices, saying, they stay awake and at alert for the sake of others to sleep.
He further appealed for strengthen civil-military relations, saying, seamless communication between journalists and the army
is crucial for the dissemimation of balanced and factual reportage of their activities.
