By Patrick Obia And Violet Ekane
Spokesperson of Security and Response Agencies have ended a three days capacity building workshop in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The event was tagged “Global Terrorism and Crisis of Narratives: The Challenges For Nigeria Security.”
In a lecture, Dr. Andy Iheme of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), said Government at levels have deployed different strategies of handling security challenges, adding that Public Relations (PR) remains the proactive strategy for forestalling crisis in any organization and society at large.
Dr. Andy who was speaking on the topic: “Public Relations in Reduction of Nigeria Security Challenges” stressed on some reasons why citizens do not divulge useful information to security agents.
According to him “unfriendly disposition of the security men, disdain for civilians, lawlessness of some of the personnel, and impatience of some towards citizens” constitutes why citizens withhold information from security agencies.
Other factors that hinder access to timely and factual information from members of the public as enumerated by the Guest Lecturer represented by Mr. Kamonke Abam are “insensitivity and lack of emotion, public display of impunity, lack of discipline and unnecessary suspicion of civilians.”
Going forward he called on ‘all security personnel to put up friendly behaviours that will earn them the trust of the public.”
He further averred that “there is need for security operatives to open up their messes and canteens for public patronage, and engage opinion leaders, which will grant them access to useful information.”
In his concluding remark, he enjoined the media to avoid sentimental reportage and be objective.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the event, Brigadier General John Agim while delivering his address harped on the need for the public to partner with Security Operatives to help them combat insurgencies bedevilling the Nation.
Mr. Agim called on his colleagues to “Tell the media their sides of the story, so as to help with useful information, while discarding the fake ones.”
High point of the three days event was presentation of awards and photo-ops.