Kana Urges Defence Correspondents to Highlight Troops’ Sacrifices, Successes

The Permanent Secretary, General Services Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Abubakar Ibrahim Kana, has urged defence correspondents to balance their reports by highlighting the successes and sacrifices of Nigerian troops alongside the security challenges confronting the country.

Kana, a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, made the call in Abuja when he received the leadership of the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DECAN) ahead of its annual conference scheduled for Monday at the Army Officers’ Mess 1, Asokoro.

He said journalists who had accompanied troops to operational theatres had witnessed first hand the difficult conditions under which military personnel operated and should reflect such experiences in their reports.

Kana urged journalists to give adequate attention to the successes recorded by the Armed Forces, particularly in neutralising terrorists and bandits.

He 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 maintained that the security challenges facing the country were not the fault of the Armed Forces, stressing that troops had continued to make significant sacrifices in the fight against banditry and insurgency.

“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 stated.

The former defence permanent secretary commended DECAN for what he described as improved reporting of military operations, noting that correspondents who had visited battlefields were better positioned to understand 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,” he said.

Kana also commended the Armed Forces for providing access to operational areas and supporting defence correspondents in carrying out their responsibilities.

Recalling his three year tenure at the Ministry of Defence, he said his open door policy enabled him to maintain close relationships with military personnel, civilian staff and journalists.

He said the experience also exposed him to the operations of the various military services and formations, stressing that he insisted on ensuring that the Permanent Secretary, as the accounting officer, had access to information on government funded operations.

On reforms undertaken during his tenure, Kana said his administration introduced several infrastructure and welfare initiatives, including the installation of reverse osmosis machines and water dispensers to provide clean drinking water for workers.

He added that toilets were renovated, the ministry’s external environment improved, additional car parks created and other facilities upgraded.

Kana also disclosed that he initiated the construction and equipping of a new hospital and expansion of the dental unit to improve healthcare services for military personnel.

He said one of his major proposals was the harmonisation of the medical services of the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force into a single Armed Forces Medical Corps.

According to him, the initiative was designed to enable personnel to access specialised medical services across the three services rather than being restricted to facilities operated by their respective services.

He said the proposal also included establishing a medical college under the Nigerian Defence Academy, with the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, developed as a teaching hospital.

Kana said the initiative would reduce the Armed Forces’ dependence on short service medical officers by enabling it to train and produce its own doctors and other medical personnel.

He added that he secured a 100 per cent increase in the quota for house officers for the Armed Forces as part of the reform.

The former permanent secretary further disclosed that the Ministry of Defence had commenced plans to expand local defence manufacturing by encouraging private-sector participation outside Kaduna.

He said the proposed review of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Act would enable private manufacturers across the country to participate in defence production.

According to him, the initiative would also provide opportunities for military personnel to work with local defence manufacturers, strengthen their skills and create employment opportunities for them after retirement.

Earlier, DECAN President, Odita Sunday, expressed sadness over the death of military personnel and civilians in a helicopter crash on Monday, praying for the repose of the souls of the victims.

Sunday described Kana as a respected public servant who made significant contributions to defence journalism during his tenure at the Ministry of Defence.

He recalled that Kana played a key role in the registration of DECAN with the Corporate Affairs Commission after providing the association with a letter of introduction.

According to him, more than 100 members of the association voted for Kana to become a patron of DECAN, with the honour to be formally conferred on him at the annual conference.

Sunday said the Minister of Defence had confirmed his attendance at the conference, while the National Security Adviser and service chiefs were also expected.

He commended the Armed Forces for supporting the conference, describing the development as a reflection of the strong relationship between the military and defence correspondents.

Kana accepted the nomination and thanked the association for the recognition, promising to attend the conference on Monday.