The newly appointed service chiefs have declared full-blown war against the insecurity in the country, saying there is no room for failure under the President Bola Tinubu administration.
Musa and his team were appointed by President Tinubu on Monday following the removal of the former service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police.
They noted that the determination of the military, under their watch, to secure the country should not be in doubt.
Specifically, the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Christopher Musa, vowed that terrorists, bandits and other criminals would be dealt with if they don’t turn a new leaf.
The CDS who spoke during a handing over ceremony in Abuja yesterday restated the military’s resolve to go all out to ensure the nation is secured.
Musa said, “As the CDS, my promise to Nigeria is that we’ll continue to improve on our mandate of sustaining peace and tranquility in our country. We assure every Nigerian to feel safe. The Armed Forces of Nigeria are up and doing; we are highly professional and we are going to be there for them. Nobody should doubt our determination to bring peace to Nigeria.
“Anybody, especially the criminals, bandits, terrorists or anyone, who thinks otherwise, should be ready to face the music. The Nigerian armed forces will come out in full force while safeguarding the safety and security of the citizenry. That, I’ll assure you.
“Musa also promised that he would see to the welfare of personnel to enable the military get the best from them.
He said, “Issues of welfare have been addressed but you know we cannot be 100 percent. So we’ll continue from where they stopped. We’ll ensure our troops, our men, wherever they, will never be left alone. We’ll ensure we give them what they need, what they require and we’ll take care of the issue of administration which is paramount because a soldier that is well fed and well taken care of will give you the best. So, they should not doubt; we are here, we are ready and we are willing to do that.”
On his part, the former CDS, General Lucky Irabor, urged Musa to ensure the value and professional standards of the military is retained.
He said, “I am handing over to an officer who is tested and by all standards a model for the armed forces. I appreciate the president for finding Major General Musa very suitable to take over the reins of the armed forces.
“I ask that you redouble your efforts so that the cherished values and professional standard be maintained. Quite a lot has been achieved and looking at the mood of the armed forces, that will help you and your team of service chiefs to ensure that the professional standard of the armed forces is retained.”
Also, the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, assumed command as the 23rd Army Chief with a pledge to discharge his responsibilities with fairness, merit and reward for hard work.
He took the baton from the 22nd Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Faruk Yahaya, during a ceremony at the Army Headquarters, Abuja, yesterday.
Lagbaja said, “Today, history has made it my turn to be the one the almighty God has favoured to receive the mantle of leadership of the Nigerian Army.
“I wish to thank the almighty God for making this day possible. I must also sincerely appreciate the President and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for giving me this privilege.
“It is the aspiration of every combatant NA officer to one day become the COAS but today God made it what it is as Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya, my leader, my boss, takes a bow from office as the 22nd COAS. You will all agree with me that in the past 25months of his leadership, the NA has witnessed a milestone transformation. We’ve seen unprecedented procurement of equipment and prudent management of human and material resources of the NA. In his time, the country began to reap the dividends of the cumulative efforts of his and his predecessors’ regime”.
He said following the leadership style of General Faruk Yahaya, repentant terrorists have been surrendering in droves like never before.
“Currently we are witnessing more than ever before massive surrender by repentant insurgents in the North East in a manner that beats the expectation of any observer local and international”.
He thanked the former COAS for mentorship and empowering his military career.
Lagbaja who promised to improve on the legacies of his predecessors of a proficient and professional Nigeria Army said hard work will be rewarded under his watch.
“I promise that I shall discharge my responsibilities as COAS with fairness, merit and hard work shall be dully rewarded while appropriate measures are taken to bring back in line anyone that errs”.
Earlier, the former chief of Army Staff, Lt General Yahaya, said he was leaving the Nigerian Army better than he met it.
Yahaya added that the Nigerian Army made remarkable successes in the fight against insecurity.
He said “our adversaries are in disarray across all theatres of operations.”
Similarly, the newly appointed Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Maj-Gen Emmanuel Undiandeye, told officers and men of the intelligence community that there would be no room or excuse for failure under President Tinubu.
Undiandeye who made the vow in Abuja when he formally took over from the immediate past CDI, Maj-Gen Samuel Adebayo, warned criminals and any other Nigerian nursing the intention to plot evil against the country to shelve the idea with immediate effect.
The spy chief said intelligence gathering will be strengthened in such a way that anyone with evil intentions, particularly adversaries like bandits, terrorists and other criminals, would not have their way.
According to him, with the resources the intelligence agency and the security sector are being given, it is imperative they do all they can to ensure that Nigerians sleep with all their two eyes closed.
He said, “When I said there is no room for failure, what I meant is that there is no way the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces will task us to do something and come back with excuses to give him that we’ve failed.
“With all the resources, both human and material, I think it behooves on us that we succeed at all times because insecurity means loss of human lives and we must secure people from unnecessary deaths. That’s what I meant by there is no room for failure.
“First and foremost, we should re-double our efforts. Secondly, we should be professional. Thirdly, in all we do, we must go beyond the ordinary call of duty to ensure that the people we are tasked to secure sleep with their two eyes closed.
“Any person that intends any evil and ill for our nation will have himself in the wrong side of the knife.”
Speaking earlier, the senior military officer pledged that he would not let the country down in the discharge of his duty in line with the mandate given to him by President Tinubu.
He said, “I thank Mr President for giving me the opportunity to serve the nation at this point in time, I will not let him and the nation down.
“There is no failure in my dictionary and the only excuse is that we succeed. We should improve on our way of doing our duties and move away from the syndrome of na so dey do am (sic).
“We have to carry out the mandate of the president to protect the country from criminal elements. I commend the efforts of my predecessor for his efforts in projecting the agency. He fought for the independence of the agency. I will keep your flag flying.
“To the staff of the agency, the intelligence community, we need your support and guardian, correct us where we are getting things wrong so that we can adjust.”
On his part, the erstwhile CDI said he was happy and believed that he was leaving the agency in the hand of a capable officer.
For his part, the new Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, yesterday assumed office as the 22nd indigenous naval chief, vowing to curb crude oil theft and illegal refining activities.
Ogalla took over the leadership of the navy from Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, who has been in command since January 2021.
In his remarks, the new naval chief thanked God for the privilege and pledged to ensure that the Nigerian navy sustains the aspiration of being the best.
He also thanked President Bola Tinubu for entrusting him with the responsibility, adding the president’s unwavering commitment to the security and prosperity of the nation is an inspiration to him.
The new CNS solicited the cooperation of all personnel in ensuring the success of the Navy and upholding the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and dedication to duties.
He said the task ahead is still challenging, adding that the nation had continually faced significant threats such as crude oil theft, prevalence of illegal refineries, Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, piracy, sea robbery, piracy, various forms of trafficking and other maritime crimes.
According to him, these are not just threats to Nigerian maritime security, but also to the nation’s economic stability and national development.
“We are committed to tackling these security challenges head-on and we will intensify our efforts to curb crude oil theft and put an end to illegal refining. We will enhance our capabilities to combat piracy and sea robbery and ensure the general safety of our maritime domain,” he said.
The outgone CNS, Rear Admiral Gambo said the navy under him pursued a single purpose to address the subversive and nefarious activities in the nations’ maritime domain.
He said the service evolved more stringent operations concepts and strategies to tackle the devastating impacts of piracy, sea robbery, proliferation of illegal refinery, brazen crude oil theft, destruction of critical oil and gas infrastructure among others.
