Stop cursing your country, Defence Chief tells Nigerians

Stop cursing your country, Defence Chief tells Nigerians

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, on Tuesday appealed to Nigerians to stop raining curses on their country, Nigeria over present situation in six geo-political zones of the country.

Gen. Musa, while stressing that cursing the country was not how to growing a nation, said insulting or wishing the country bad doesn’t mean those wishing her bad would grow better than they are.

The Military Chief, who stated this at Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja at a one-day seminar organised by the Defence Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (DECAN), said Nigerians must take ownership of their country.

“By insulting or wishing evil to your country does not mean you’ll grow better. Quenching somebody’s life does not mean your own will grow together. As a team, we must take ownership of Nigeria to ensure that Nigeria develops.

“Every day you are insulting, you are busy calling for God to punish… No, you cannot kill your country because you feel it is just that you feel like that. You don’t grow a country that, which I think it is important.

“And then the members of the media, I’m happy that you have been very positive. I just want to encourage you not to not to get discouraged. I know it is daunting.

“The challenges are enormous all over, but we must look at the positive as well as speak well of our country, speak the whatever is that is going on, but positively, I think that’s very important,” he said.

The seminar, with the theme: “Civil Military Relations: Non-kinetic efforts of the Nigerian Military in Security Management, Challenges, and Prospects”, had Director-General of Voice Nigeria, Jibrin Baba Ndace in attendance.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba; the Director, Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau; former spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Group Captain Sadeeq Shehu and and a former spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Sani K. Usman.

Speaking further, the CDS said the Nigerian military is deploying more non-kinetic approach due to its effectiveness in combating terrorism and other security challenges in the country.

According to him, the traditional notion of war relying heavily on kinetic means is gradually being relegated and the Nigerian military now seeks to possess and apply non kinetic approaches to project power, secure interests and solve problems.

Gen. Musa said the theme of the seminar was timely, considering the the significance of non-kinetic approach in winning the battle against terrorism and other security challenges.

The CDS added, “Nigeria, as a diverse and complex nation, faces a mirage of security threats that demand our varying attention and concerted efforts to address.

“From separatism, insurgencies and terrorism to inter-communal conflicts, transnational organized crimes and the mirror of other security challenges, the task of securing our nation is formidable and tasking. In tackling these threats, we are not unmindful of the shift from seeking victory through kinetic means.

“Though the overall power potential of the country is still being determined by conventional military artists, there is no doubt that the non-kinetic means are becoming more relevant in the power potentials of Nigeria.

“The armed forces of Nigeria, being the key driver encountering the myriad of security threats nationwide has sustained non military and soft strategies as a means to an end of this multifaceted threats.”

End…