GENERAL MUSA’S HISTORIC MANDATE

The minister should make a difference in securing the country

Following his confirmation by the Senate last Wednesday, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Christoper Musa was sworn in by President Bola Tinubu the next day as the new Defence Minister. The fact that this was a standalone confirmation amid a flurry of ongoing ambassadorial nominations indicates that this could be the most consequential appointment under the current administration. The immediate backdrop of Musa’s appointment was the dramatic resignation of Abubakar Badaru who had held the position. Whether he was pushed out or jumped off the cabinet wagon is unimportant. But this may also be the time to find something else for the Minister of State, Bello Matawalle considering his unedifying profile.

The Tinubu administration is faced with existential insecurity challenges. Nigerians and concerned foreigners alike have expressed overwhelming fears and anxieties. Massive bandit attacks, school closures, abductions and attacks on places of worship have of late become rampant and unnerving. Some foreign interests have seen sectarian genocide in the many killings. In response, President Tinubu has declared a wide-ranging national security emergency.

Understandably, drastic security measures are called for. The most urgent is perhaps a change in the leadership of the nation’s defence and security establishment. Prior to now, there was a dysfunction and misalignment. Two former governors who were not distinguished in any way presided over defence and security matters over and above senior armed forces personnel. Quite often, professional security and national defence decisions were subjugated to political considerations. At other times, the civilian ministers may not have appreciated the urgency and expediency of certain security situations and the orders they necessitated.

On those scores, the president’s decision to replace Badaru with Musa is right on target. The current state of insecurity in the country requires a direct synergy between ministerial bureaucracy and the command-and-control structure of our defense establishment. This is the synergy and decisive urgency that defines Musa’s appointment. He has to hit the ground running. He cannot pass the buck. He must translate the president’s anxiety into demonstrable outcomes. Nigerians must, in the shortest time, resume a life of safety and security irrespective of faith, location, region or ethnicity.

In his inauguration speech on 29th May 2023, the president had promised to make security a top priority and to “effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform both our security doctrine and its architecture.” For this to happen, there must be a change in strategies to keep abreast of the sophistication in the methods of the agents of insecurity. While the recent declaration of emergency in the security sector is a good political body movement, translating the wishes in the declaration into practical measures will require more commitment and hard work. And that is where the appointment of General Musa comes in.

On the fresh recruitment ordered in both the police and the army, the president spoke as though the involvement of the armed forces in internal security operations is axiomatic. We subscribe to strengthening the Nigeria police to be effective and efficient – both in terms of its professionalism and structure, so that it sustains the capacity to carry out its constitutional responsibility of maintaining law and order. But the contentious issue of political office holders at different levels negotiating some hazy deals with criminals cannot be allowed to continue if we are to successfully address the insecurity challenge. On this, Musa’s position is in alignment with that of most Nigerians.

Now, he has an overarching responsibility to the nation as a democratic state. Freedom from fear of insecurity is fundamental to democratic life. The protection of life and property remains one of the critical requirements of a democratic state and national sovereignty. We wish the General success in his assignment.