Mr. Emeka Mba, the Director General, Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) says that the prominent use of social media platforms by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has positive impact on the activities of the anti-graft agency.
The NBC DG, while appraising government institutions and the opportunities available on the social media platforms asked rhetorically, “How many government institutions present here today have presence on the social media platforms?”
Without waiting for an answer, he said, “I know the EFCC. That agency is one government agency that is very prominent on the social media platforms. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, the EFCC is very prominent and making use of the platforms positively”, he added, according to a statement by EFCC.
The Director General made the remarks at the closing ceremony of a three-day Retreat on Security/Media Relations in Crisis Management, organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser and Trim Communications Nigeria Limited in Abuja.
On his part, a popular blogger, Japhet Omojuwa and Naomi Lucas, Director of Communications, Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, while speaking on “Social Media and National Security”, both agreed that social media is an asset which no government institution can shy away from”.
Omojuwa further added that Government should take the lead and even initiate discuss, match idea for idea on the social media platforms. He however warned that social media in government institutions should not be left in incompetent hands. “It should not be left in the hands of those who are not computer literate as it is a very sensitive area which need to be handled by qualified professionals”, he added.
Chairman, Trim Communications Nigeria Limited, Dr. Tom Adaba stressed the need for the media and the security agencies to co-operate by acting properly to move the country forward.
He said that the media and security agencies are two very vital organs for promoting peace and harmony in any society; the two have common gate keeping roles but approached differently and the two have obvious common grounds that must be maximally explored and exploited for greater mutual understanding, harmony and effective co-ordination, among themselves and for common good of the society.