Astounded Hopes, Doubts Over Musa

Last week, there were hushed speculations in some quarters that the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd), was on his way to becoming a mythical bird called the phoenix that is reborn in its ashes. The rumors gained credence on Monday when the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, tendered his resignation on the grounds of ill health. The sighting of the erstwhile CDS in the presidential villa, where he had gone to see President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, drove some to the irrevocable conclusion that Musa was set to succeed his boss, who was once quoted to have declared that the nation’s forests, where bandits and criminals presently occupy, could not be penetrated by bombs.

In less than 24 hours after meeting President Tinubu, the name of the retired general was sent to the Senate for ministerial screening. Without a waste of time, the upper chamber of the National Assembly immediately slated the following day, Wednesday, for the screening of Musa whose support from fellow citizens had grown tremendously since his retirement. The return of Musa has been greeted with hopes and fears, with one group expressing optimism over his return, while others, mainly from the opposition camp, are describing the return of the former CDS as incapable of turning the tide against the monsters of insecurity. But pro-Musa admirers rose in unison to drown the flood of despair that was critical of the hope as contained in the return of the former military boss to the defence sector.

Second Coming

If some Nigerians never expected Musa’s return to the nation’s defence sector as minister after his exit as CDS, his confirmation on Wednesday by the Senate elicited reactions from Nigerians. The surmise of these reactions can be gleaned from both sides, with each claiming its position to be the reality. Without doubt, Musa’s footprints as the head of the nation’s armed forces were a defining moment in the nation’s war against banditry and insurgency, just as his profile in combating Boko Haram in the North-east zone has attracted commendations.

As CDS, Musa remained determinedly committed to not making the country safe, but he led troops that decimated the prowess of insurgents who, before the inauguration of the Tinubu-led administration in May 2023, had taken over rly a dozen local government areas in Borno State.  The then army commander knew the negative impacts of insurgency on the economy and how foreign investors were finding it difficult to invest in Nigeria over mounting and worrisome security challenges. To achieve results, Musa led his troops from the front and took the battle to the enemy’s camp. His last memorable speech as the CDS was his order to the troops to respond with appropriate firepower when attacked in their areas they are deployed to. The era when the military would have to wait for orders from Abuja, Musa warned, was over. It was this singular order by the former CDS that injected a new sense of doggedness in the renewed fight against insecurity. By the time he was retired, it was clear as the day that something was missing and that the committed patriot called General Christopher was key in the prosecution of the final battle to obliterate criminals posing existential threats to the corporate survival of Nigeria.

Tinubu’s Resolve

The retirement of Musa had led to a cacophony of voices, with one school of thought accusing the president of caving in to demands to sack the military chief. In identifying the patriotism of General Musa, Tinubu has clearly left no one in doubt that his confidence in the former CDS is unshakeable, and that by returning Musa to head the defence ministry is not only timely but imperative in ridding the country of brigands and non-state actors engaged in open war against the country.

The resurgence of attacks unleashed on peace-loving citizens in various communities, including abductions of worshippers and students in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger states, following President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as ‘Country of Particular Concern’, is reflective of the intention of the terror groups in portraying Nigeria as a country tottering down the slippery slope of self-inflicted anarchy.

As Nigeria confronts its enemies that have vowed to destroy the country, the need to redefine the government’s policy on what standard operating template to use in dealing with terror groups must be spelled out. The presidency cannot, on one hand, be opposed to negotiation with bandits, but at the same time negotiate with these brigands and criminals. Nigerians cannot continue to live in a country where citizens only wait to be kidnapped by these men from the cave or made to contribute to the payment of ransom for the release of abducted family members, among others

What To Avoid

Nigeria’s quest to end terror attacks must not relent. With renewed criminal tendencies turning our country into a global cynosure of killings by criminal groups, Musa’s return to the nation’s security architecture brings along the hope of crushing the monsters of insecurity within the shortest time.  Many Nigerians have shown tremendous love and support for the former CDS before his eventual retirement, but this overflowing support never ceased even after President Tinubu announced his retirement with other service chiefs. Now that he is back on the pedals of securing the country, no effort should be spared in ensuring the enabling environment is created to allow him to perform maximally without any form of inhibitions.

With the promise to recruit more boots on the ground, the days of banditry and insurgency look good to be over. All we need is committed leadership that is capable of ending insecurity. Slowly but assuredly, the pendulum is swinging to victory. With citizenship involvement in keeping Nigeria safe, there is more optimism than despair that our nation shall soon experience peace and be delivered from those who seek to destroy our nation.