Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Christopher Musa, has appealed to Nigerians to stand together with the armed forces of Nigeria and other security agencies in tackling the menace of insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, cultism, separatist agitations and say no to any form of criminality.
General Musa made this appeal while delivering a keynote address at the Security and Emergency Management Award 2024, 6th edition, held yesterday at Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Abuja.
He stated that the country may not be where it ought to be, but the nation is progressively heading towards its desired destination.
He says, “The armed forces and other security agencies need the support of the public who are everywhere. The threats we face as a country are multifaceted, ranging from terrorism and insurgency to socioeconomic issues and community unrest.
“Arising from these complex dynamics, it has become increasingly clear that no single institution can solve these issues in isolation; no one can do it alone. We must collaborate as Nigerians.
“The threats we face are not peculiar to Nigeria alone, but humanity is threatened.
“Therefore, we must all stand together and say no to acts of banditry, kidnapping and terrorism.
“For us in the armed forces, we must always remain impartial and accountable.
“We want to assure Nigerians that the armed forces of Nigeria are for Nigerians, we are here to protect democracy”.
The CDS, also honoured in the award of excellence category, assured that the Defence Headquarters would continue refining its humanitarian responses to bolster its capability and provide early assistance to affected communities across Nigeria.
He said that the award ceremony provides a unique platform for various stakeholders, including representatives of the armed forces, civil society organisations, academia, media, and the private sector, to achieve sustainable national security and emergency management through civil-military collaboration.
He said that the 2024 edition came when the armed forces were making deliberate efforts to deepen civil-military collaboration to enhance national security.
Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, appealed to Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, as all his policies and programmes are geared towards bettering Nigerians’ lives.
Noting that the military is winning the war against insurgency and other emerging security threats, the minister averred that the arrest of Simon Ekpa by the Finnish authority is one of the current indicators that Nigeria is winning the war against terror.
Represented by the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Jibrin Ndace, the minister cautioned against undue criticism of Nigeria’s armed forces by critics on account of the insignificant number of rotten eggs in the system, stressing that such unguarded comments can lower the morale of troops in the battlefield.
In his welcome remarks, Mallam Yushau Shuaib, the award organiser and publisher of PRNigeria, said the annual event recognises outstanding gallantry and contribution to Nigeria’s safety, security, and emergency management.
