Buratai advises media practitioners to verify information before publishing

Chioma Joseph, Lagos

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant – General Tukur Buratai, has advised media practitioners, to do proper verification of information before they are published.

Buratai gave the advice during the commissioning of completed projects at the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Yaba, Lagos and other Nigerian Army formations (NA) in the state.

The COAS said some reports; especially those carried on social media, propagate and eulogize terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements in the country, at the expense of National Security and the lives of troops.

According to him, some Non- Governmental Organisations also engage in the misinformation of member of the public for reasons unknown.

In his words, “Some media outfits especially, the social media where we have a lot of challenges, propagate or eulogizes the terrorists, the bandits and other criminal elements at the detriment of our national security and lives of our gallant troops that are deployed in various areas of operation.

“We call on the media to be very cautious, to be very careful in disseminating or reporting certain incidents or certain issues without proper verification.

“Also there are some Non Governmental Organisations that for one reason or the other or for their selfish gains, they take issue they don’t verify, without confirmation from the Army authorities and they go and publish it on the social media and it spreads.”

While speaking on the commissioned projects which included Headquarters 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Yaba Administrative block, Centre for Infectious Disease, Accident and Emergency unit, Intensive Care Units, Three Operating Theatres, Medical Out Patient Department, blocks of accommodation, Nigerian Army Post Exchange (NAPEX) Shopping Mall and more, the COAS said the projects were embarked on to improve the welfare of officers and men.

Being the third phase of reconstruction, renovation and remodelling of facilities, Buratai said his administration will continue to do the needful in ensuring that personnel welfare improves, so as to increase their morale.

The COAS who also inspected ongoing projects urged personnel to keep the new facilities neat. He said, “We commissioned some projects and inspected ongoing projects.

You know that our effort to improve on the welfare of our officers and men has been at the uppermost part of our minds and indeed our activities.

I will urge you to ensure that these facilities are kept neat at all time. Let me assure you that we will continue to improve on our facilities.

“Accommodation is a major issue here, both for officers and men, but we will continue to see how we will improve on them.

We are renovating a lot of blocks for officers and men and we are reconstructing more to enable us develop such facilities and accommodate more of our troops that we will be recruiting and commissioning.”

On the roles of staff officers and commanders in ensuring personnel welfare is upgraded, he said, “The proactive nature of commanders in ensuring that we address the accommodation challenges within our facilities is commendable.

As commander you must always ensure that you visit your troops, see their accommodation, ask them of their challenges and where you can, intervene and ensure that you get it right.

If you cannot intervene, then you forward it to us at Army Headquarters, so that we can address them appropriately.

“We need such proactive and response from staff officers and commanders so that we will continue to improve on the welfare of our officers and men and that will improve their morale.

You know morale is one of the principles of war and it is a principle of administration.”

Commenting on how much the NA have improved since he became the COAS, Buratai said, “One thing I am proud of, and I will continue to be proud of when I eventually leave the service is the improvement of welfare of troops.

We have never stopped addressing the medical challenges of officers and men, both those in the battlefield, in the theatre and barracks, and indeed their families.

“There was no case that was brought to me that we did not give 100 percent attention. This has been my guiding principle in line with my vision ‘to have a professional responsive NA in the discharge of its constitutional roles. Haven done that, I believe we are settled to do our job professionally.”

Stating steps taken to also improve the education arm of the NA, he said the issue of dilapidated structures in command schools are being addressed as well as the overall welfare of students.

The COAS further revealed that the NA has also taken proactive steps to improve the welfare of families of fallen heroes.

He said, “We are also having a lot of welfare projects for the widows of our fallen heroes, we have a project called Barracks Initiative Investment Programme, which is targeted to widows, barracks youths and members of their family as well.

They have imbibed this and the Super Green Securities Nigeria Ltd., It is a security outfit of the Nigerian Army. We have the NA Farms and Ranches. It is also absorbing the barracks youths, the widows the orphans.

“We have also continued to sponsor all the children of deceased personnel from primary to University.

This is a standing programme that has being ongoing and we will continue to do that because, their bread winners served this country and paid the ultimate price and we will not leave them.”

He therefore urged troops to remain professional, committed, dedicated and loyal to the constituted authority of the country as well as uphold the integrity of the Nigerian Army and that of the armed forces.