The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said that the Federal Government will promote patriotism to fight terrorism and banditry in Nigeria.
Idris, in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Rabiu Ibrahim, said the promotion of patriotism and nationalism is a strategic approach to curbing violent crimes such as banditry, kidnapping and terrorism in the country.
The Minister said this in Abuja on Friday when he received the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa on a courtesy visit to his office.
Idris said the surest way to counter the wave of crime is to instill a sense of patriotism among Nigerians and foster a strong national identity as a united front against violent crimes.
“The concept of nationalism, nationhood and patriotism must return for us to have the unity and prosperity that all of us seek,” he said.
“We have seen a gradual erosion of our values. Those values need to be reclaimed and we have to recover our senses as Nigerians.
“We need to go back to the drawing board and see where we got it wrong with the aim of getting it right this time around.
“I thank you so much for coming. We think that the collaboration that you require is for all of us to come together so that we can fight insurgency and forge unity, development and peace in this country.
“There is no way you can successfully fight this war without a frontal role for the Nigerian media and Nigerians themselves,” Idris said.
Idris pointed out that violent crimes have adversely impacted the image of Nigeria as a nation.
Hence, the Ministry of Information and National Orientation bears the responsibility to manage and reshape the narrative about the country.
The Minister further stressed that information management is critical to the fight against insurgency.
He therefore said collaboration between the Ministry and the Military is crucial to forge a narrative that strengthens national security and launder the country’s image.
Idris disclosed that the ministry of Information and National Orientation would soon launch a campaign of national rebirth as a deliberate effort to instill a renewed sense of patriotism among the citizens.
“Some of those things we are talking about will take centre stage early next year when the President, hopefully, will lead the campaign of national rebirth. We want to talk about this concept of citizenship again,” Idris said.
The Minister also requested the military to reintroduce the programme of embedding journalists in military operations to provide firsthand insight into the theatre of operations, thereby fostering a more informed and balanced narrative.
The Guardian
