Worried about the precarious state of the security situation in the country, African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), yesterday urged the government to deploy necessary measures to arrest the situation.
Besides, the communication teachers also concern about the threat imposed by social media on national security.
President of the council, Professor Nnamdi Ekeanyanwu made the remark at the opening of its 22nd Annual International Conference and Annual General Meeting held in Bayero University, Kano.
The Professor of Strategic Communication, University of Uyo, lamented that the conference is holding a critical period where the height of instability in the security and economy of the nation is fast threatening the unity and sovereignty of the country.
The university don, who was represented in an acting capacity by Dr. Bashir Abdullahi, revealed that lapses in handling the deteriorating situation have led to several calls for self-defense, which has already manifested in the creation of “Amotekun” in the southwest region of the country.
Professor Nnamdi regretted that while the country was still nursing the wound of national security, the current global health burden COVID-19 is traumatizing the global communities, with a large economic impact in Nigeria.
He explained that with the ACCE-BUK 2021 theme, focusing on ” Mediating Security in the New Media Age and in Post COVID-19 Era: Discourse, Technology, and Society “, the council is expected to mediate on critical national security and how to overcome the challenge posed by the new media.
“The theme of this year’s conference is very apt in the light of recent developments in Nigeria and globally. Nigeria and many other African nations face dire national security challenges caused by worsening economic conditions and poor leadership across all spectrums of society.
“This situation is made worse in the New Media Age, where some level of sophistication has been noted to accompany crimes and national security concerns in most of these nations. The New Media Age has also heightened the incidence of Fake News and Hate Speech to further polarize the debate that instead of fighting “them” we are fighting “us”.
Vice-Chancellor, Bayero University, Kano, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas on his part ascribed the rising rate of insecurity in the country to an unabated level of poverty, and youth unemployment.
Professor Abbas insisted that the misused of social media, economic hardship which is compounded with the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be excluded from the security threat Nigeria is coping with.
The VC said it is however behooved the responsibility of the council to develop workable recommendations on solutions to the ranging challenges.
