The Permanent Secretary, General Services Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Abubakar Ibrahim Kana, has urged defence correspondents to give greater attention to the successes and sacrifices of Nigerian troops in their reports.
Kana made the call in Abuja while receiving the leadership of the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria ahead of its annual conference.
The former Defence Permanent Secretary said journalists who had visited operational theatres had seen first-hand the difficult conditions under which troops operate, urging them to reflect such experiences in their coverage.
He said reporting military casualties alone was insufficient, stressing the need to also highlight the achievements and sacrifices of personnel fighting to protect the country.
Kana also commended the Armed Forces for allowing journalists access to operational areas, saying such exposure would contribute to more balanced reporting of security operations.
Speaking on his three-year tenure at the Ministry of Defence, Kana highlighted reforms in military healthcare, including efforts to harmonise the medical services of the Army, Navy and Air Force under a single Armed Forces Medical Corps.
He said the proposed reforms included establishing a medical college under the Nigerian Defence Academy and upgrading the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, into a teaching hospital.
Kana also disclosed plans to expand local defence manufacturing by creating opportunities for private-sector participation beyond Kaduna.
Earlier, the President of DECAN, Odita Sunday, commended Kana’s contributions to defence journalism and disclosed that more than 100 members had voted for him to become a patron of the association.
Sunday said the honour would be formally conferred on Kana at the association’s annual conference, expected to be attended by the Minister of Defence, National Security Adviser and service chiefs.
Kana accepted the nomination and thanked the association for the recognition.
Discussion0