Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s minister of Information and Culture, says the federal government is having constructive and meaningful engagement with friendly ECOWAS member states and other regional blocks to decisively deal with insecurity in the country.
Mohammed who spoke on Tuesday, said the war should not be left to the government alone, and called for all hands to be on deck, if the war against insecurity was to be won.
The minister stated these at the opening ceremony of a two-day national conference on “Culture, peace and national security and the role of the media,” organised by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation, NICO, in Kano.
Mohammed, who was represented by the Director, International Cultural Relations in his ministry, Mrs. Memunat Idu-Lah, however, reiterated the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to tackle security challenges confronting the nation.
He said: “Because this administration appreciates the fact that security challenges, such as we are confronted with currently, go beyond the capacity of individual countries to effectively handle. It is having constructive and meaningful engagement with friendly countries and collaborating with member states of ECOWAS and other regional blocks in order to effectively and decisively deal with insecurity in Nigeria.
“At this juncture, it is important to empathize that the war against insecurity should not be left for the government alone. All hands must be on deck if we want to win the war and overcome the security challenges which have become impediments to our national development aspiration.”
He called on media practitioners to accord national interest priority in the discharge of their constitutional duties and shun fake news, hate speech and misinformation capable of worsening the security situation.
Earlier in is remarks, Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation, NICO, Ado Yahuza, said the media could lead the fight against insecurity in the country by consistently sensitising Nigerians, adding that there can be no development in an environment confronted with violence and criminality.
He said: “Previous editions of the conference focussed on the role of traditional rulers, local government chairmen, women and youths. This year, the focus is on the media, a very important stakeholder in the promotion of culture of peace and non-violence in Nigeria.”