Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has established a new department that would coordinate, collate and disseminate information from the theaters of all military led operations in the country.
With the new directorate in place, all information and news emanating from military operations across the country is now the sole responsibility of the body to release to journalists.
To this end, individual press statements from the Army, Navy and Air Force on military operations hitherto issued by their respective public relations officers would cease.
Known as the Directorate of Defence Media Operations, the body approves by the Chief of Defence Staff(CDS), is headed by Major-General John Enenche as Coordinator, with representatives from the army, navy and Air Force.
At its maiden briefing held at the DHQ conference room in Abuja, Enenche, a one time Director Defence Information, while soliciting the cooperation of the media to enable it deliver on its mandate, said the military would continue to review and restrategize its operations to tackle the security challenges in the Country, to ensure adequate security of lives and property.
The coordinator who took time to explain the role of the new outfit, said said “our channel of communicating the operational activities of the Nigerian Military to the general public has been streamlined to one source which is henceforth the Directorate of Defence Media Operations.
“This implies that, the Directorate is now the clearing house for all information relating to the operational activities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, which will provide authentic information on all issues bothering on military operations.
According to him, “the Directorate of Defence Media Operations is to disseminate information on multi agency operations of which the Nigerian Military is the lead agency. In clear terms, the Directorate of Defence Media Operations is responsible for press briefings, releases and other press activities on all Military and Armed Forces of Nigeria led multi agency operations, for internal and international engagements.
“The purpose of this establishment is to ensure that the Armed Forces of Nigeria communicate its operational activities through one channel to the general public. It is visioned to achieve “INFORMATION DELIVERY FOR POSITIVE EFFECT”, at strategic, operational, tactical and other levels of our target audience.
“Continuing, Enenche said “The Directorate is created out of the need to interface with the media and the general public on all Armed Forces of Nigeria military operations both internal and external. It will collate and disseminate timely and credible information to you in order to create a balanced understanding of our operations and also our objectives. The Directorate would also be responsible for information management in all multi-agency operations involving the military.
“As the Armed Forces of Nigeria is resolutely committed to resolving the current security challenges across the Country, it is imperative for us to keep the citizens abreast with the activities of our various operations. As you all are aware, the current security challenges in the Country range from activities of insurgents in the North East; cattle rustling, banditry and kidnapping in the North West; farmers/herders conflict in the North Central. The South generally is characterized by militancy, oil theft, and cultism. Currently, we have a total of 9 ongoing Armed Forces of Nigeria operations in different parts of the country, besides the Multinational Joint Task Force Operation, with its headquarters at N’Djamena, Republic of Chad. The operations are Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Operation DELTA SAFE, Operation SAFE HAVEN, Operation AWATSE, Operation SAFE CORRIDOR and Operation WHIRL STROKE. Others are, Operation WHIRL PUNCH, Operation THUNDER STRIKE and Operation HADARIN DAJI.”