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By Philip Nwosu
Pioneer Commander of the Nigerian Special Forces, Major-General Moundhey Gadzama Ali (rtd), has called on serving and retired military officers to rally behind President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, saying unified support from the military community is essential to overcoming Nigeria’s persistent security challenges.
In a statement yesterday , Ali said the responsibilities awaiting the minister-designate are enormous and will require practical input, cooperation and honest counsel from senior officers, rather than silent observation or political aloofness. He urged retired generals, Infantry officers and members of the Special Forces community to actively contribute solutions that will help Musa tackle 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,” Ali said. “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.”
Describing Musa as a long-time friend and trusted colleague, Ali advised him to remain firm, focused and resistant to sycophancy, warning that powerful interests continue to feed Nigeria’s security crisis. He urged the minister-designate to confront sponsors and enablers of criminal networks “no matter whose horse is gored.”
With the country still grappling with insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnapping in the North-West, and emerging security threats in other regions, Ali said the collective backing of the officer corps will be vital to Musa’s success.
“Towards a better Nigeria indeed,” he added, urging the military community to view Musa’s appointment as a national commitment rather than an individual burden.
Ali also criticised what he described as a culture of political patronage and weak accountability in the appointment and screening of public officials. He said Nigeria must prioritise transparency and merit if it hopes to strengthen governance and global credibility. According to him, security agencies often fail to present or act on actionable intelligence during screening exercises—an omission he said undermines national security.
“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.
General Musa, who recently retired as Chief of Defence Staff, is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most experienced operational commanders. His nomination as Defence Minister has been positively received by security stakeholders who expect continuity and strengthened coordination in the country’s security framework.
