Minister Seeks Public Support On Insurgency

From Bamidele Fasube

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on
Friday has called for increased public support to encourage the
military against insurgency.
He also commenced the process to launch a national security campaign
to counter insecurity nationwide, especially in the North-east.
Mohammed made the call during a meeting with representatives of
relevant agencies in Abuja. He said it was important to design a
national communication strategy for the campaign, which aims to
sensitize the public on their role in the fight against insurgency
The Minister said inputs from the civilian was important to completely
winning the war against insurgency.
According to him, “The military may be doing its best, but it cannot
win the war alone. No insurgency has ever been won only by military
prowess.
“Apart from that, it is important to sensitize Nigerians on IEDs –
Improvised Explosive Devices, how to recognize one and what to do if
they find such. Nigerians must also be made aware of the new tactics
of the insurgents, which is to focus on soft targets, like motor
parks, entertainment centres, religious houses, etc.
“Having been routed from their strongholds in the North-east, the
terrorists have resorted to carrying out cowardly attacks. But these
people operate among us. The challenge, therefore, is to fish them out
before they strike us. How do we recognize them? How do we keep
Nigerians safe,
whether at the motor park, in schools, hospitals, hotels or even on the road?”
He said the campaign would not be limited to the North-east alone but
will extend to any part of the country where there are agitations for
one reason or another.
The Minister added that need for all stakeholders to partake in the
security campaign, including religious leaders, traditional rulers,
market women, road transport workers as well as opinion leaders.
“In order to keep Nigerians fully informed and involved, it is
important that we design a communication strategy that will be very
effective in helping us to achieve that objective,” he stated.