Pioneer Special Forces Commander, Major-General Moundhey Gadzama Ali (rtd), has called on serving and retired senior officers to rally behind President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, saying unified support from the military community is crucial to ending Nigeria’s lingering security challenges.
Ali said the task before Musa is enormous and will demand practical input, cooperation and honest counsel from experienced officers rather than silent observation or political posturing. 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.
