Every Nigerian should undergo military training, says Defence Minister
Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has called for every Nigerian to undergo military training, saying such exposure would help citizens better understand the sacrifices and demands involved in protecting the country.
Musa made the proposal during an appearance on the African Leadership Podcast with Ken Giami, released on Monday.
The minister said military training would expose Nigerians to the physical and mental demands faced by soldiers, including hunger, exhaustion, sleeplessness and prolonged physical exertion.
“Every Nigerian should be able to go through military training. It will give you a different perspective about life. You will now understand what it means to stay hungry and what it means to work in days without sleep,” Musa said.
“It will show you what endurance means when you walk kilometres and you are tired but you still need to keep on going. You have not eaten; you have not taken one because of the nature of the thing and because you are doing it to protect,” he added.
Musa said the sacrifices made by members of the military reflected the biblical principle of giving one’s life for another, noting that soldiers routinely put themselves in danger to protect the country.
“And that’s exactly what the military men are doing, putting their lives at stake for their country to move around,” he said.
The former Chief of Defence Staff also urged Nigerians to recognise the personal sacrifices made by soldiers, noting that they leave their families behind while carrying out their duties.
“And so that’s why sometimes it’s very painful when you see people insulting the military and telling them they don’t need it or we don’t want this to end. Nobody’s dying now, and they don’t want it to end,” he said.
“Everybody wants peace, and that is important, so we want them to understand soldiers are fathers, brothers and sisters of people. They’ve families they’ve left behind, staying in the weather, rain, dust, night or day, staying there to ensure the country is secured,” he said.
Musa also attributed increased infiltration across Nigeria’s borders partly to the withdrawal of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali from regional security arrangements.
He said Nigeria was strengthening bilateral relationships with neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, as part of efforts to improve security along the country’s southern borders.
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