CISLAC partners journalists to push  Legislation on Protection of Civilians 

By Patience Ogbo

Journalists covering the Defence and Crime beats have been urged to project dangers civilians face during military operations across the country. 

This admonition was given during a one day training programme organised by the Civil Society Advocacy Group, CISLAC focusing on the issue of Protection of Civilians, (PoC) and Civilian Harm Mitigation.

CISLAC Program Manager, Mr. Salaudeen Hashim said "PoC is new in the whole of Africa and if Nigeria begins to legislate and begin to design in-house mechanism that works, it will help develop Civilian Harm Mitigation infrastructure. And because we are pushing for a legislation, it becomes imperative to engage with the media, so that they can actually take this forward as a medium to begin to influence decision makers"

He  urged the media to put PoC in the front burners   in their news reportage .

“ The media has a whole lot to play in terms of influencing and advocating for a legislation on Protection of Civilians and that is why we believe in using different of their own contacts to push this conversation going forward. We can not ignore the successes the media has recorded over the years.”

“Post-independent Nigeria, the media has been very strategic and has come thus far, and I think that is not arguable and I think they’ve indeed provided a whole lot of contribution in terms or national development. PoC is new, so if Nigeria goes on to put that policy framework in place, it becomes the first in the whole of Africa to do so. And I think that those within the regime and corridors of power will want their name to go down well in history.”