The Permanent Secretary, General Services Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Abubakar Ibrahim Kana, has urged defence correspondents to balance their reports on Nigeria’s security challenges with the successes and sacrifices of troops fighting insurgency and banditry across the country.
Kana, a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja when he received the leadership of the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria ahead of the association’s annual conference scheduled for Monday at the Army Officers’ Mess 1, Asokoro.
He said journalists who had accompanied troops to operational theatres had seen first-hand the difficult conditions under which military personnel operate and should reflect those experiences in their reports.
Kana said, “Unlike in the past where journalists report 50 soldiers killed, one soldier beheaded, but you did not report that 1,000 bandits were killed. That should be the news.”
He questioned the rationale for consistently reporting the negative aspects of the country’s security situation without highlighting the efforts of the Armed Forces.
“You have also come to realise that you are with the Armed Forces. They are working. So why should we report negative about our country? The banditry, the insurgency, whatever that we are having—is it the fault of the Armed Forces? No. But the Armed Forces have sacrificed,” he added.
The former defence permanent secretary commended members of DECAN for what he described as improved coverage of military operations, noting that journalists who had visited the battlefield were better positioned to appreciate the sacrifices of troops.
“You have seen life. You have followed them to the war front. You have seen that these guys actually work day and night. The least we can do for them is appreciation,” Kana said.
He also praised the Armed Forces for providing access to operational areas and supporting defence correspondents in carrying out their duties.
“I must commend you people for accepting to be reporting the good things that are happening within the different activities. I also appreciate the Armed Forces for recognising the fact that they must be supporting you,” he said.
Kana, who served for three years as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, recalled that he operated an open-door policy and maintained close relationships with military personnel, civilian staff and journalists.
He said his tenure gave him extensive exposure to the operations of the various military services and formations, adding that he insisted that the Permanent Secretary, as the accounting officer, should have access to information on government-funded operations.
“Any operation we are going for, Permanent Secretary must know. That is why the peace support operation coordinator, his office is my office,” he said.
The former permanent secretary also highlighted some of the reforms and infrastructure projects he initiated while serving at the Ministry of Defence.
He said he introduced reverse osmosis machines and water dispensers across the ministry to provide workers with clean drinking water.
According to him, he also embarked on the renovation of toilets, improvement of the ministry’s external environment, construction of additional car parks and upgrading of other facilities.
Kana said, “Since the Ministry of Defence took over the structure, no single renovation was done until I got there. I took the bull by the horn because if you start following process, process, process, you will never do it.”
He disclosed that his administration also initiated the construction and equipping of a new hospital and expanded the dental unit as part of efforts to improve healthcare services for military personnel.
Kana said one of his major proposals was the harmonisation of the medical services of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force into a single Armed Forces Medical Corps.
He explained that the proposed reform was aimed at enabling military personnel to access specialised medical services across the three services instead of being restricted to hospitals operated by their respective services.
“I said, can we do what everybody in the world is doing? Let’s bring them together into one single Armed Forces Medical Corps, not Army Medical Corps, Navy or Air Force,” he said.
He said the proposal also included the establishment of a medical college under the Nigerian Defence Academy, with the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, to serve as a teaching hospital.
According to him, the initiative was also designed to reduce the military’s dependence on short-service medical officers by developing its own pool of doctors and other medical professionals.
Kana added that he secured a 100 per cent increase in the quota for house officers for the Armed Forces as part of efforts to strengthen military medical services.
The former permanent secretary further disclosed that the Ministry of Defence had commenced plans to expand local defence manufacturing through increased participation of the private sector.
He said the review of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Act was intended to create opportunities for private defence manufacturers outside Kaduna to participate in the production of military equipment.
According to him, the initiative would also provide opportunities for military personnel to work with local defence manufacturers, improve their technical skills and create employment opportunities for them after retirement.
Earlier, the President of DECAN, Odita Sunday, expressed sadness over the death of military personnel and civilians in a helicopter crash on Monday.
Sunday prayed for the repose of the souls of those who died in the incident.
He described Kana as a respected public servant who made significant contributions to defence journalism during his tenure at the Ministry of Defence.
According to Sunday, Kana played a key role in the registration of DECAN with the Corporate Affairs Commission after providing the association with a letter of introduction.
“Dr Kana is somebody that journalists on the Ministry of Defence beat miss so much. He operated an open-door policy, and he really wanted to do a lot for the press when he was there,” Sunday said.
He disclosed that more than 100 members of the association voted for Kana to become a patron of DECAN, adding that the honour would be formally conferred on him at the association’s annual conference on Monday.
Sunday said the Minister of Defence had confirmed his attendance at the event, while the National Security Adviser and service chiefs were also expected to attend.
He added that the Armed Forces had supported the conference, describing the gesture as a reflection of the cordial relationship between the military and defence correspondents.
“Before journalists can say you are somebody they love, you must deserve it, and you must have paid your dues. Dr Kana is still a bureaucratic giant, a highly respected public servant that we hold in high esteem,” he said.
Kana accepted the nomination as patron and thanked members of the association for the recognition, promising to attend the annual conference on Monday.
