By Odita Sunday
The 10-day nationwide hunger protest tagged #EndBadGovernance which lasted from the 1st to 10th of August, 2024 had come and gone but there are certainly some observations worthy of mention with respect to the management of what would have turned the entire country into theatre of war of some sort apart from the violence that eventually marred the peaceful protest in some parts of the country. It in unarguable that the Nigeria Police Force which is the lead agency in internal security was equal to the task in ensuring that there was no total breakdown of law and order that would have necessitated full involvement of the military, yet it is commendable that the military under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Christopher Musa displayed a high level of professionalism and adherence to the tenets of democracy while the protest lasted.
The professionalism displayed by the CDS clearly confirmed the words of his immediate predecessor Lt. General Lucky Irabor (rtd) who while handing over to Musa the reins of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) in June 2023 said that Nigerians have nothing to worry about the operational efficiency and administrative orderliness of the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the leadership of General Christopher Musa as the Chief of Defense Staff. At the event, while urging his successor to ensure that the value and professional standards of the military were upheld, General Irabor said he had handed over to a tested and trusted officer who, by all standards, a model for the armed forces.
In his words, “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 orderliness and our cherished values and professional standard be maintained.” He added that quite a lot had been achieved and was confident that the armed forces were in the right mood to achieve set targets.
If these recommendations and admonitions from the former Chief of Defense Staff, Lt. General Irabor are anything to go by, one would readily attest to the fact that General Musa lived up to his billings during the nationwide hunger protest, which in some quarters was expected to end in humongous crisis that would have ultimately necessitated a military putsch. Days leading to the protest, the rumour mill was rife with possible takeover of the country by the military once the protest began. At such unpleasant days, the Armed Forces of Nigeria under General Musa had constantly dismissed such rumours as unfounded. The CDS remained unflinching in emphasizing the fact repeatedly that the Armed Forces under his command is uncompromising in its belief in the democratic governance of the country in contemporary times.
Prior to the protest, he had occasions to caution that much as the protest organizers were right to protest against the hardship prevailing in the country, such right must not go beyond the constitutional limit since violence and treasonable acts were not part of the human rights to protest. He was quoted in the media as saying that while he was aware of the “grievances” of the protesters on the challenging economic difficulties in the country, they must show understanding. He went ahead to address a press conference during which he appealed to Nigerians to be united during “these trying times” and cautioned against looting and vandalism of property just as he decried the destruction of valuables in some parts of the country.
It is on record that during the protest, the Armed Forces of Nigeria under his leadership showed professionalism. The ability of the military to de-escalate the tension already in the country, protect the lives and property of the citizens while promoting the rule of law at the same time was top notch. Such a conduct of the military usually known for force and brutality elsewhere; could only have come from a refined leadership represented by General Christopher Musa. As a way of de-escalating the nationwide tension during the protest, the CDS apart from subtly giving an indication of what the military would do if the situation went beyond the capacity of the police, literarily took on the toga of a priest to sermonize that the economic crisis and high cost of living in Nigeria is a global phenomenon. He urged Nigerians to give the government time to address the challenges.
In his words, “we want to call on all Nigerians to understand the government. If you have grievances, which I know people have, a lot of challenges here and there, and it is not only in Nigeria alone; everywhere in the world is facing one economic or security crisis or the other. And so, it is important to understand that we are not alone. He added that “what we can do is not allow criminals and individuals that have lost out to take advantage of this to destroy our country. We should realize that these destructions, monies have to be used to replace them so that we can move forward.”
Such a posturing truly showed General Musa not only as a professional soldier who obeys the standard operating procedure or rule of engagement in a life threatening or war like situation but an astute statesman who is quite mindful of the economic implication of the citizenry allowing hoodlums to take advantage of the protest to destroy infrastructural facilities which had taken huge sums of money to provide. His preachment was obviously not borne out of fear of confronting the violent protesters but principally as a result of mitigating what could have resulted in a very serious disaster like the EndSARS killings by the military in 2020 in Lagos.
I must therefore commend the Chief of Defense Staff for his selfless service and bravery in the face of adversity. This has obviously earned him the gratitude and respect of members of the Nigeria public. General Musa has truly demonstrated that he is a genuine guardian of peace and stability and remains deserving of Nigerians’ appreciation for the selfless service.