By Nkechi Eze
In a historic event at the Army headquarters in Abuja, the newly appointed acting Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Anele Onyinyechi Appolonia, assumed office with a deep sense of honor and humility, expressing gratitude to God Almighty for the opportunity.
She took over from Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the outgoing Army Spokesperson.
Recall that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, in a recent posting and redeployment appointed Lt. Col. Anele as the Acting Director of Army Public Relations.
During her inauguration, Lieutenant Colonel Anele pledged to lead the directorate with transparency, professionalism, respect, and proactiveness. She vowed to justify the confidence reposed in her by the Army leadership and promised to work tirelessly to enhance the Directorate’s capacity and relevance.
“I assure you and the entire leadership of the Nigerian Army, that I will justify this confidence by remaining absolutely loyal, committed, focused and results-driven,” she stated.
Lt. Col. Anele praised her predecessor, Maj. Gen. Nwachukwu, for his passion, resilience, and professionalism, which have established a strong foundation and elevated the Directorate of Army Public Relations to its current commendable state.
“Your contributions to enhancing the image and strategic communication of the Nigerian Army are remarkable over the years you served as Director. Sir, you remain an integral part of the DAPR family, and I will always value your counsel and support,” she added.
Lt. Col. Anele recognized the media’s importance and pledged cooperation with journalists, urging them to maintain fairness and responsibility in reporting military matters. She vowed to lead the Directorate with professionalism, respect, and proactiveness.“I urge you to continue to support the Nigerian Army as we work tirelessly to safeguard our nation’s peace, unity, and sovereignty. As I begin this journey, I pledge to lead the Directorate with transparency, professionalism, respect, and proactiveness. We will continue to tell the Nigerian Army’s story, not just through words, but through actions that reflect honour, sacrifice, responsibility and service to the nation.” She said.
While calling on officers, soldiers, and civilian staff within the Directorate to remain “loyal, hardworking, focused and united. Lt. Col. Anele said “I would like to implore the officers, soldiers and civilian staff of this Directorate to remain loyal, hardworking, focused and united, knowing that with a shared vision and collective effort, we will take Army Public Relations to greater heights.”
The outgoing Director, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, reflected on his almost four-year tenure, highlighting the strides made in modernizing the directorate with cutting-edge multimedia equipment and establishing a fully functional strategic communication center.
“When I assumed this noble responsibility on 16 June 2021, I was fully aware of the enormous expectations that came with it.
“Today, I dare to say with confidence that I did not merely react to these challenges, I boldly confronted them head-on with innovation, vision, and purpose”
Nwachukwu highlighted notable accomplishments during his tenure, including the launch of Nigerian Army Info Television, which has substantially improved the Army’s media presence, engagement, and public image.
He cited achievements such as equipping the Directorate with modern multimedia tools to enable swift and professional responses to various media interactions.
“I ensured the acquisition of modern cameras, editing suites, audio-visual systems and digital communication tools necessary to thrive in the fast-paced global media space.
“I also recognised the centrality of human capital development. To that end, I facilitated specialised local and international training for our officers and soldiers, exposing them to global best practices in strategic communication, crisis messaging, digital warfare, and media analytics. This has undoubtedly transformed the way we tell the Nigerian Army’s story credibly, and authoritatively,” Nwachukwu said.
He also highlighted the setup of a Strategic Communications Centre for coordinated messaging and the launch of Nigerian Army Info TV, a platform for producing audiovisual content, documentaries, and news broadcasts.
“I also ensured deepened relationships with traditional and new media actors, built bridges of understanding, and amplified the narratives of gallantry, resilience, and professionalism that define our troops on the frontlines.
“It has indeed been a journey of transformation, of redefining army public relations, not just as a support service, but as a strategic arm in contemporary warfare and national security management.” He said.
Major General Nwachukwu expressed gratitude to the Army leadership, officers, soldiers, and civilian staff for their support during his tenure. He also appreciated the media for their partnership and urged them to continue upholding truth, fairness, and responsibility in their engagements.
Highlights of the event was the official handover and takeover of documents, decorations with uniform embellishments and group photographs.
