From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has called on Nigerians to join the military and security agencies in the fight against insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other security challenges bedeviling the country.
Gen. Musa, said the call has become necessary as the military and the security agencies cannot fight insecurity.
He said that the cooperation and support from the citizens for the military and all other security agencies was critical to their successes or otherwise in the effort to tackle the various security challenges facing the nation.
Gen. Musa made the call during the maiden media interaction with the journalists in Abuja.
He said “I want to also appeal that when you see something not going right, please report, even if it is our troops that are not doing the right thing, don’t just keep quiet and pass by because whatever you see and pass by, you have approved it.
“If you want changes, report so that we can take action and we want to take action,” he said.
Musa said that terrorism was always difficult to eradicate because it was based ideology that had added criminality as a result of the pressure exerted in them by the military in the Northeast.
The CDS, while noting that the issue of good governance was most critical in addressing the problem of insecurity, said that political leaders have a role to play to ensure that issues that promote insecurity were not allowed to fester for too long.
He said the military solution is only 30 per cent, while 70 per cent is good governance, equity, fairness and justice.
“The issue of the policing is everybody’s responsibility. We must have good policing system that everybody is everybody’s brother.
“We must be our brother’s keepers for us to be able to assist and our correctional system should be correctional.
“The security challenges we are facing is not only a military challenge, it is for everybody and you there you are always at the forefront.
“So that is why it is important for us to have a good understanding of what is going on so that we can clearly sensitise the public and let them understand what is going on,”.
Earlier in his address, the Director, Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, while noting the role of the media in nation building with serious implication to the national security, said there was the need for the military to partner closely with the media hence the desire of the CDS to interface with journalists as critical stakeholders.
The Defence spokesman said the media is a force multiplier in the effort of the armed forces of Nigeria to win the hearts and mind of the populace.
“Therefore, your role is critical and noble, always trying to ensure public support for the military and also boost the moral of our troops while executing our constitutional responsibilities”.