Nigeria’s Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has urged citizens to embrace the culture of supporting the Armed Forces in fighting criminality in the country.
The Minister disclosed this on Tuesday during the private premiere of the movie ‘Eagle Wings’ in Abuja.
He also urged citizens to continue to imbibe the requisite values and keenly exploit every medium that will help to foster unity in the country.
“The movie vividly portrays how the Nigerian Air Force optimally leverages kinetic as well as non-kinetic air capabilities and humanitarian efforts, with the available resources and manpower, to win hearts and minds in the overall national strategic approach to attaining victory in the war against terrorism and insurgency.
“Eagle Wings has undoubtedly set a new standard for Nollywood, and would also project the image of the Nigerian Air Force far beyond the shores of our great nation, further boosting Nigeria’s international prestige.”
The Minister also applauded the Nigerian Airforce and the producers, especially in utilizing the media space to enlighten citizens and other stakeholders about the valuable contributions of the Air Force to both internal security and off-shore Air Power projections, in support of Nigeria’s national interest.
“In this regard, it is quite noteworthy that the Nigerian Air Force’s positive engagement of the media to promote public enlightenment has received national, continental and global accolades over the past two years”.
Mohammed also applauded the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for giving the Armed Forces the enabling environment to function while employing all the relevant tools, including a seminal Motion Picture, as Soft Power in the fight against insurgency.
“The unwavering commitment of Mr. President to the goals of the Armed Forces despite the scarce resources and the prevailing global economic and social challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic is inestimable and highly appreciated.
This is one area in which my Ministry has been unrelenting. Our gallant troops daily make a huge sacrifice, including the supreme sacrifice, so that you and I can sleep with our eyes closed.
I enjoin us all to make use of this movie as a tool of creating awareness in the public about the critical roles, especially of the Air Force, in national security and nation-building.”
“Eagle Wings” Motion Picture by the Nigerian Air Force Investments Limited, in collaboration with Messrs Papel Image Tech Limited is the first of its kind. It is particularly the first Motion Picture of its kind in West Africa as a whole and in Nigeria in particular.
Nnenna.O
