Insecurity: DHQ solicits  The Sun’s support to win insurgency, other wars

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has solicited the support of The Sun Publishing Limited in the military’s counter insurgency operations and determination to keep the country safe.

The Director, Defence Information (DDI),  Major General Jimmy Akpor, made the appeal when he paid a courtesy visit on the Abuja office of The Sun.

Akpor, accompanied by Principal Staff Officers in the Directorate of Defence Information, said the time had come for the military and the media to collaborate and work as a team since they both share the  responsibility of protecting the nation.

The DDI, while noting that the Directorate was charged with the responsibility of propagating the image of the Armed forces, said military operations in the North East and other parts of the country to wipe out terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminals was yielding positive results.

He commended The Sun for the positive publications of military activities and urged the newspaper to keep the good work.

While noting the critical role of the military in protecting the nation from external aggression and keeping it secured  the DDI said the media had the sacred role of managing the soul and heartbeat of the country

According to him, “while ours is kinetic, yours is mostly non-kinetic and there are so many things that kinetic can’t destroy. What is planted in the mind cannot be destroyed by kinetics, but by non-kinetics.

“These are very critical times that we are in and everybody’s contributions is important and we need the media, as a critical institutions, to win the war against insurgency and insecurity in the country.”

He said he was at The Sun, Abuja office, to solicit the staff support in advancing the vision of Chief of Defence Staff, “which is to foster a professional Nigerian Armed Forces capable of effectively fulfilling its constitutional imperatives.”

Welcoming the DDI and his delegation to The Sun, Abuja office, the Editor, Nation’s Capital & the North,  Adetutu Folashade-Koyi, thanked the team for the visit and assured them that The Sun, would continue to support the Nigerian Armed Forces.

While commending officers and men of the Armed forces, who she said have continued in their determination to keep the country safe, she described the armed forces as the backbone of Nigeria’s sovereignty, while urging them to keep doing the good work of protecting the nation.