Disinformation Greatest Challenge Confronting Nigeria – NCoS

As part of efforts to fight insecurity, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has unveiled the “Information Not Disinformation” campaign to fight the menace of fake news, with the NCoS identifying disinformation as the next greatest problem of Nigeria after insecurity.

Controller of the NCoS in Imo State, Kingsley Njoku said this when he unveiled the “Information Not Disinformation” campaign in Owerri.

Our correspondent reports that the “Information Not Disinformation” campaign, an initiative of the Correspondents’ Chapel is aimed at effective partnerships with security agencies in Imo State to fight insecurity through responsive journalism and accurate reporting.

Njoku who thanked the Chapel for thinking towards the, “holistic partnership” said that the campaign would help correct wrong impressions about the NCoS and pledged his readiness for productive engagements with the chapel to stem the tide of disinformation in the fight against insecurity.

He called on the general public to key into the initiative so as to get a better understanding of the activities of security agencies and be better able to put hands on deck in the collective action to end insecurity in the state, the southeast and Nigeria at large.

“Apart from insecurity, the greatest problem in Nigeria is disinformation because while security agencies are doing their best, members of the public are being deceived about our efforts in some sections of the media .

“I, therefore appreciate this partnership because it will go a long way in fighting fake news and further stabilizing the society and enhancing development at all levels,” he said.

Controller Njoku however stated that the service in Imo State was doing a lot in the areas of support for inmates and their reintegration into the larger society through sponsorship of skills training and academic pursuits among others.

In his response, chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Chinonso Alozie, thanked the NCoS for their commitment to effective partnerships and assured them that the chapel’s campaign against disinformation would not only attack fake news but also sanitize the image of the service.

According to him, the campaign would be launched in the state following sensitization visits to security agencies by the Chapel.

“We are currently sensitizing security agencies in the state on the need for effective partnerships for a more responsive journalism which aims to inform rather than misinform or disinform the public.

“Soon, when we conclude the sensitisation visits, we will proceed with an official launch of the Information Not Disinformation campaign and the era of misinformation by quacks will be in the past,” he said.