Kukah to New Defence Minister: Shift from ‘Guns and Bullets’ to Intellectual Strategy
ABUJA, NIGERIA — Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, on Thursday, stated that the success of the newly sworn-in Minister of Defence, General Christopher Danjuma (retd.), would depend on his ability to pivot the nation’s security strategy from a purely military approach to one driven by “deep intellectual analysis.”
Speaking to State House correspondents after a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Bishop Kukah commended the appointment of the retired General but stressed that his biggest task is to reset the entire security architecture of the country.
“We have seen too many years where the narrative around insecurity was simply ‘guns and bullets.’ That approach, sadly, has proven insufficient,” Bishop Kukah stated.
When asked by a correspondent about his specific expectations for the new Defence Minister, Kukah emphasized the need for comprehensive reform that addresses the root causes of violence, rather than merely treating the symptoms.
“My expectation is a strategic departure. We need the new Minister to understand that national security is a function of robust, deep intellectual analysis, proper understanding of geo-politics, and locating where Nigeria wants to be in the world,” he explained.
The outspoken cleric called for an immediate end to the infighting and lack of coordination among security agencies, insisting that a unified strategy is non-negotiable.
”We need coherence. The years of military involvement have led to the mistaken notion that these issues are purely military. They are not. They are socio-economic, they are political, and they are existential. The Minister must address the growth of corruption and lack of collaboration that has plagued our efforts,” Kukah added.
Bishop Kukah concluded by urging General Danjuma to prioritize the restoration of hope and security to communities devastated by attacks, stating that the “legitimacy of this government hangs on resolving this issue and giving us our country back.”
