The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, has urged personnel of the Ministry of Defence to remain vigilant, security-conscious and proactive in identifying and mitigating safety risks.
Musa made the call on Monday during a town hall meeting with staff at the ministry’s headquarters, Ship House, Abuja.
According to a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, the minister emphasised the important role of civilian personnel in Nigeria’s national security architecture.
He urged staff to promptly report suspicious activities, adopting the mantra, “See something, say something,” while maintaining situational awareness about their movements.
Musa said the maiden town hall meeting was organised to strengthen direct communication between the ministry’s leadership and staff, identify operational gaps and address pressing workforce concerns.
He expressed appreciation for the dedication of personnel and reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving the welfare and working conditions of civil servants.
Describing civil servants as the “engine room of government,” the minister stressed the need to strengthen civil-military cooperation through unity, teamwork and mutual respect between civilian employees and members of the Armed Forces.
He also announced plans for structured engagement programmes to promote stronger working relationships between the ministry’s civilian and military cadres.
In her remarks, the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Bosede Olaniyi, commended Musa for initiating the engagement.
READ ALSO: FG Launches Digital Training Academy to Upskill 32,000 Nigerians in AI, Cybersecurity, Others
Olaniyi said the initiative would promote open communication, discipline and collective responsibility in delivering the ministry’s mandate of safeguarding national sovereignty.
Presenting staff concerns, the President of the Joint Executive Council of the Ministry of Defence Union, Mr Dahiru Goronyo, identified delays in third-party remittance deductions, transportation challenges, training opportunities, promotion issues and payment of entitlement arrears as key welfare concerns.
The meeting was attended by directors, heads of departments and units, staff across various cadres and media representatives.
