From John Adams Minna
The acting governor of Niger State comrade Yakubu Garba has said that the government and the entire people of the state are indebted to the Nigerian Army over the sacrifices made towards curtailing the activities of armed bandits, insurgents and other criminal elements in the state.
The acting governor gave the commendation when he declared open the 35th edition of the Nigerian Army social media seminar at the Justice Legbo Kutigi international conference center, Minna the state capital on Wednesday.
He said the entire people of the state remained indebted to the Nigerian Army for the sacrifices it has made in the war against armed bandits, insurgents and other criminal elements operating across the state.
“We must therefore as citizens understand and appreciate the sacrifices of our Armed Forces. We cannot fold our hands and see some few elements in mist derail the gains of our security agencies in the maintenance of peace in the country.
He therefore commended the Nigerian Army for initiating the seminar which according to him will enhance further understanding of the civilian military relations in the country.
According to him, social media has become a powerful tool in shaping perception and influencing decisions in all spares of life, stressing that social media has the capacity to make it marr peace, social and economic well-being of a nation.
“Experience of the last nationwide protests has shown the negative effects of the social media in our society, that is why I must Commend the Nigerian Army for organizing this seminar”.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chief of Civil Military Affairs of the Nigerian Army Major General M. C. Ugbo said that this year’s seminar with the theme: “Harnessing the Social Media National Security and National Development”, was designed to explore the vagaries of social media in the face of volatile, unpredictable and dynamic security arrangements.
He said this will remind us of our collective responsibility to the national security and implications of our actions in the spread of fake news and contentious content on social media.
“We must understand the content created, posts shared and our comments on social media”.
This, he pointed out has the potential to either undermine or strengthen our collective efforts towards a peaceful and united Nigeria.
Papers were presented at the one one day seminar which drew participants from across the state.