Defence Ministry interacts with correspondents ahead of Ministerial Scorecard

In recognition of the critical role of the media as partners in national development, the Nigerian Ministry of Defence through its Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ibrahim Kana had an interface with Defence Correspondents on the best form of approach to pass information across to the public on the activities of the ministry and the Armed forces of Nigeria.

In what the ministry tagged as a pre-event briefing ahead of the Ministerial scorecard under the platform of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Kana appreciates the important role of the media represented by a broad spectrum of media houses in the country and canvass for their support in the dissemination of information on the ministry and its agencies.

The Permanent Secretary said the “Minister of information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has emphasized that the Buhari-led administration cannot be discussed without discussing the issues of Defence and security owing to the fact that when the president assumed office in 2015, one of his top three priorities and areas of concern as a government was the matters of defence and security”

Dr. Kana who explained that the ministerial scorecard presents the ministry with an opportunity to give Nigerians an account of their stewardship from 2015 till date said, the Defence Ministry has prepared an elaborate report ahead of the presentation to be done by the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd).

Speaking earlier, the Director Press, Federal Ministry of Defence, Mrs. Victoria Agba-attah said briefing with the Defence Correspondents became necessary because they are stakeholders not just in the ministry but in Nigeria.

She therefore advocated for the coverage and reportage of the major achievements of the ministry under which the armed forces of Nigeria are supervised.

The Defence Correspondents during the media interface gave suggestions and areas which they believe the public might be very interested in such as the issues of welfare for both serving and retired veterans/pensioneers, the issues of human rights abuses in the war against insurgency in the North East, the surrendering of terrorist in the North East Theatre and situation report, funding, equipment and acquisition of Naval platforms, issues of piracy in the water ways, the heavy investment in military hardware amongs others.

The Ministry of Defence oversees the Defence profile of the country from the perspective of the Armed Forces and supervises the Defence Headquarters, the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force as well as other Institutions/ agencies.