The Nigerian Force and Voice of Nigeria(VON), have reiterated their commitment to making the national interest paramount in the discharge of their duties.
The commitment was made when the new Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force(NAF), Air Commodore Olusola Akinboyewa paid a courtesy visit to the Director General of Voice of Nigeria in his office in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Air Commodore Akinboyewa said that “synergy is key as he appreciates the long-standing history of partnership that the Armed Forces enjoyed with the Voice of Nigeria in particular and other partners.”
He also acknowledged the deep cooperation and support that was enjoyed with his predecessor, Air Marshal Edward Gabkwet as he prayed that such would continue in that spirit of synergy and continue in that spirit of cooperation but that they would take to the next level as they all work to secure Nigeria’s present and Nigeria’s future.
“We all work to continue to present the best image of this country to the rest of the world,” he said.
The Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Jubril Baba Ndace said “It’s no longer in the non-battle spaces of the past, the battle space has shifted now in the media space because, in his experience as a Defense Correspondent, he is following defence and security issues.”
According to him, he always tells the senior officers and particular strategic leaders when there is an opportunity that the battle space has changed.
He noted that they can weaken the power of instruments of national power like the Armed Forces.
“Therefore, whatever you do, you’re required to partner with the media to be able to tell your own story, in this case, unlike in the past, you have no 24 hours you don’t have one hour, ” he said.
He noted that there are many instances where you set out on an operation because the battle space has changed, when things happen, the criminals will seize the air-ground of information management and turn it against service for their benefit, before you know it, the services are disrupted.
He noted that the predecessors, including Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, fit into this position because once someone gets to one star in any of the services, he can be deployed meaning he is prepared for any kind of appointment in the Armed Forces.
He said, “Voice of Nigeria is not just being alive to his responsibility but having a Director-General in him who understands the pain and the plight and the sacrifice of the troops and what they do daily.”
According to him, anytime he receives courtesy visits from any of the services, he always tells them that even if Voice of Nigeria used to have a very robust partnership, his coming here is an added leverage.
He considers himself as part of the military institution for many reasons, he added.
He noted that during his career as a journalist, he reported on defence and security and he had the privilege of covering counter-insurgency and other security challenges in this country on land, at sea, and in the air.
The Director General said that “training is very necessary for effective service delivery.”
He told them the brief history of Voice of Nigeria.
“Therefore, as Voice of Nigeria, we are very clear about our mission and ambition, any story that undermines the national interest will go on Voice of Nigeria without senior staff looking into it,” he said.
He noted that not only that, Voice of Nigeria will be proactive, as we have always been doing, telling the Nigeria military story, including and particularly the Nigeria Air Force.
According to him, Voice of Nigeria is perhaps one institution that has human resources that is even under-utilized.
He assured the new Air Force Director that Voice of Nigeria will continue to collaborate with the service to move the country forward positively
He also urged the Director to relate not just with Voice of Nigeria, but all public media institutions, Voice of Nigeria, Nigerian Television Authority, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, News Agency of Nigeria, and the National Orientation Agency.
Lantana Nasir
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