The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Tuesday said the federal government is having constructive and meaningful engagement with friendly countries, member states of ECOWAS and other regional blocks in order to effectively and decisively deal with insecurity in the country.
Besides, he said the war should not be left to the government alone noting that all hands must be on deck if the war against insecurity is to be won.
The Minister stated this at the opening ceremony of a 2-day national conference on Culture, Peace and National Security and the role of the media organized by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation, NICO holding in Kano.
Lai represented by his Director, International Cultural Relations, Mrs. Memunat Idu-Lah however reiterated the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration to tackle security challenges confronting the nation.
“Because this administration appreciates the fact that security challenges such as we are confronted with presently go beyond the capacity of individual countries to effectively handle, it is having constructive and meaningful engagement with friendly countries and collaborating with member states of ECOWAS and other regional blocks in order to effectively and decisively deal with insecurity in Nigeria.
“At this juncture, it is important to empathize that the war against insecurity should not be left for the government alone.all hands must be on deck if we want win the war and overcome the security challenges which have become impediments to our national development aspiration,” Lai Mohammed said.
The Minister however called on the media practitioners to accord national interest priority in the discharge of their constitutional duties and shun fake news, hate speech and misinformation which is capable of worsening the security situation.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation, NICO, Ado Mohammed Yahuza said the media can led the fight against insecurity in the country by consistently sensitizing Nigerians that there can be no development in an environment confronted with violence and criminality.
“Previous editions of the conference focused on the role of traditional rulers, local government chairmen, women and youths. This year, the focus is on the media, a very important stakeholder in the promotion of culture of peace and non-violence in Nigeria,” Yahuza however stated.