The Federal Government has warned the media to thread softly
over security issues in the country.
Inspite of the right to freedom of expression, the Presidency
urged the media to strike a balance between openness and national
security.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on
Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, reads “In the midst of the debate
over the right to freedom of expression and the government’s
efforts to ensure that the digital space and the mass media
generally do not become a playground for terrorism and
destabilization, security agencies in the country have given
assurances that they would maintain a balance between openness and
national security.
“They have, however, called on the nation’s media owners and
practitioners to walk the fine balance between openness on one hand
and national security on the other.
According to him, the Director-General of the Department of
State Services, DSS, Lawal Daura, the Director-General of the
National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar and
the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, at an
interactive meeting with owners and decision makers in the media at
the State House Conference Centre in Abuja on Tuesday, also gave
assurances that the security situation in the country was within
the control of the government.
The media, he said, can helped the government by reducing
sensation from their daily coverage.
In their own assessment, “our state of national security is not
as bad as it is painted by the media.”
In seeking the support from the media towards the achievement of
security for everyone, the heads of the agencies emphasized that
sharing and coordination among security agencies and the media is
essential to counter the ever-changing threats faced by the
nation.
The Security chieftains, he said, expressed the particular worry
that there are groups in the country with evil designs to disrupt
the processes leading to the 2019 general elections in the hope of
creating a stalemate.
“They warned the media against the activities of some
unregistered groups that have lately been active in trying to
undermine critical institutions such the law-enforcement agencies
and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
“The security heads also called for closer cooperation from the
media to prevent terrorists and radical ideologies directed from
abroad from undermining the ongoing efforts to restore security in
parts of the country facing the challenges of terrorism, economic
sabotage, criminality, farmers-herdsmen clashes and the spread of
illegal weapons.
“In a special submission by the NIA, its Director-General
recalled unsavoury developments of the last one year, which had put
the agency in a negative limelight, but said that such developments
were not peculiar to the Agency.
“Similar institutions across the world have passed through this
phase. What is, however, important is for the right lessons to be
learnt from these developments.
“I see these challenges as impetus to reposition the Agency for
effective service delivery in realization of its core mandate, as a
critical component of our National Security Architecture,” he
said.
Ambassador Abubakar appealed for media support to enable the
agency to reform and remain focused on tackling the challenges of
international nature facing the nation which included terrorism and
violent extremism manifested in activities of Boko Haram (BH),
ISIS, AQIM, Al Shabaab, Al Qaeda, Ansaru, among others.
He said the nation also faced threats from the human trafficking
and illegal migration, smuggling, slavery, forced labour,
prostitutions, drugs trafficking, activities of drug cartels and
their networks, as well as trafficking in small arms and light
weapons (SALW).
According to the DG, “Financial Crimes, identification of
financial resources and properties suspected to be obtained by
corrupt means belonging to Nigerians especially Politically Exposed
Persons (PEPs); Herdsmen and Farmers clashes, cattle rustling etc;
Piracy and Militancy, particularly in the Niger Delta: Oil theft,
illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism; and Cyber Crimes/ Cyber
security: activities of online fraudsters, hacking etc. will
henceforth receive priority attention.”
The intelligence and security chieftains also expressed the view
that the Nigerian media has a role in securing Nigeria’s national
interest.
This expected role of the press is in tandem with global best
practices, particularly on issues that have bearing on national
security.
They, therefore, invited the media “as partners to continue to
be security conscious and exercise restraint in disseminating
information that could expose the Services to ridicule or harm our
National Security,” stressing that, “Prior consultation with
appropriate members of the Intelligence Community is the best way
to go.”
The Federal Government has warned the media to thread softly
over security issues in the country.
Inspite of the right to freedom of expression, the Presidency
urged the media to strike a balance between openness and national
security.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on
Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, reads “In the midst of the debate
over the right to freedom of expression and the government’s
efforts to ensure that the digital space and the mass media
generally do not become a playground for terrorism and
destabilization, security agencies in the country have given
assurances that they would maintain a balance between openness and
national security.
“They have, however, called on the nation’s media owners and
practitioners to walk the fine balance between openness on one hand
and national security on the other.
According to him, the Director-General of the Department of
State Services, DSS, Lawal Daura, the Director-General of the
National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar and
the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, at an
interactive meeting with owners and decision makers in the media at
the State House Conference Centre in Abuja on Tuesday, also gave
assurances that the security situation in the country was within
the control of the government.
The media, he said, can helped the government by reducing
sensation from their daily coverage.
In their own assessment, “our state of national security is not
as bad as it is painted by the media.”
In seeking the support from the media towards the achievement of
security for everyone, the heads of the agencies emphasized that
sharing and coordination among security agencies and the media is
essential to counter the ever-changing threats faced by the
nation.
The Security chieftains, he said, expressed the particular worry
that there are groups in the country with evil designs to disrupt
the processes leading to the 2019 general elections in the hope of
creating a stalemate.
“They warned the media against the activities of some
unregistered groups that have lately been active in trying to
undermine critical institutions such the law-enforcement agencies
and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
“The security heads also called for closer cooperation from the
media to prevent terrorists and radical ideologies directed from
abroad from undermining the ongoing efforts to restore security in
parts of the country facing the challenges of terrorism, economic
sabotage, criminality, farmers-herdsmen clashes and the spread of
illegal weapons.
“In a special submission by the NIA, its Director-General
recalled unsavoury developments of the last one year, which had put
the agency in a negative limelight, but said that such developments
were not peculiar to the Agency.
“Similar institutions across the world have passed through this
phase. What is, however, important is for the right lessons to be
learnt from these developments.
“I see these challenges as impetus to reposition the Agency for
effective service delivery in realization of its core mandate, as a
critical component of our National Security Architecture,” he
said.
Ambassador Abubakar appealed for media support to enable the
agency to reform and remain focused on tackling the challenges of
international nature facing the nation which included terrorism and
violent extremism manifested in activities of Boko Haram (BH),
ISIS, AQIM, Al Shabaab, Al Qaeda, Ansaru, among others.
He said the nation also faced threats from the human trafficking
and illegal migration, smuggling, slavery, forced labour,
prostitutions, drugs trafficking, activities of drug cartels and
their networks, as well as trafficking in small arms and light
weapons (SALW).
According to the DG, “Financial Crimes, identification of
financial resources and properties suspected to be obtained by
corrupt means belonging to Nigerians especially Politically Exposed
Persons (PEPs); Herdsmen and Farmers clashes, cattle rustling etc;
Piracy and Militancy, particularly in the Niger Delta: Oil theft,
illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism; and Cyber Crimes/ Cyber
security: activities of online fraudsters, hacking etc. will
henceforth receive priority attention.”
The intelligence and security chieftains also expressed the view
that the Nigerian media has a role in securing Nigeria’s national
interest.
This expected role of the press is in tandem with global best
practices, particularly on issues that have bearing on national
security.
They, therefore, invited the media “as partners to continue to
be security conscious and exercise restraint in disseminating
information that could expose the Services to ridicule or harm our
National Security,” stressing that, “Prior consultation with
appropriate members of the Intelligence Community is the best way
to go.”
Read more https://nairalaw.com/presidency-warns-media-on-national-security/