Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, has been conferred with an “Award of Excellence’’ for his contributions to sustainable peace in Nigeria and Africa, by the “Association of African Journalists and Broadcasters’’ in Accra, Ghana.

Speaking at the Pan African Distinguished Achievers Award ceremony, Buratai called on African journalists to be cautious while using the social media, especially on issues bothering on security.

He urged journalists to only report facts and not encourage hate, extremism and violence in their reportage, advising them be objective and constructive while reporting events in the fight against terrorism on the continent.

According to him, the security of Africa was a collective responsibility, assuring that the effort to end terrorism in the continent and make it safe would be sustained until victory was achieved and called on journalists to partner with the security agencies in that regard.

On the award, the chief of army staff expressed happiness that his “modest efforts’’ to re-position the Nigerian Army to a professionally responsive force and fight against insurgency had been noticed.

He said the fight against insurgency and all forms of criminality had yielded results.

Buratai who spoke through Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Major-General Nuhu Angbazo, said the successes recorded so far would not have been possible if not for the support of President Muhammadu Buhari and the media, among others.

Earlier, a member of the association and Deputy Country Coordinator for Nigeria, Baba Ransome, said the award was conferred on Buratai for his ability to bring the insurgency in the Northeastern Nigeria under control.

He commended the army chief for “his strategic cooperation with other African nations in the fight against insurgency’’.