Major-General Moundhey Gadzama Ali (rtd), a pioneering Special Forces Commander, has called on the military community to rally behind General Christopher Musa, the nominee for Defence Minister.
Ali emphasized that a united front is crucial in supporting Musa’s efforts to address Nigeria’s lingering security challenges.
According to Ali, Musa’s task is enormous, and he requires practical input, cooperation, and honest counsel from experienced officers. He urged retired generals, Infantry officers, and the Special Forces community to actively contribute solutions to strengthen Musa’s capacity to defeat terrorism, insurgency, and banditry.
He urged all retired generals, Infantry officers and the Special Forces community to actively contribute solutions that will strengthen the new minister’s capacity to defeat terrorism, insurgency and banditry.
“Let us all rally behind one of our own, General CG Musa, who has just been nominated by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to serve as Minister of Defence. As he leads, in the spirit of ‘follow me’, let us openly provide answers to critical requirements to assist him in seeing to the end of banditry, terrorism and insurgency in our dear nation. Together, we can make the herculean task easy,” the respected retired Maj.-Gen Ali said.
Describing Musa as a long-time friend and trusted colleague, Ali advised him to remain firm, focused and immune to sycophancy, noting that Nigeria’s security crisis is fed by powerful interests. He urged the minister-designate to confront sponsors and enablers of criminal networks “no matter whose horse is gored.”
With Nigeria still tackling insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnapping in the North-West, and emerging threats elsewhere, Ali said Musa’s success will depend heavily on collective support from the officer corps.
“Towards a better Nigeria indeed,” he said, urging the military community to treat Musa’s appointment as a national commitment rather than an individual responsibility.
The senior officer also took a swipe at the culture of political patronage and weak accountability in the appointment and screening of public officials, warning that Nigeria must embrace transparency and merit if it expects global respect and improved governance outcomes. He criticised security agencies for failing to present or act on available intelligence during screenings, arguing that such lapses undermine national credibility.
“The world has gone beyond the sentiments of ‘my townsman. This is the time of transparency, honesty, commitment and discharging one’s duties without prejudice before loyalty,” he said.
Ali’s comments come amid heightened expectations that Musa, who recently retired as Chief of Defence Staff, will bring his experience in joint operations, counter-terrorism and military reform to bear as Defence Minister. His nomination has been widely welcomed across security circles as a signal of continuity in the fight against insecurity.
