Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The newly appointed Minister of Defence and immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, on Friday formally assumed duty at the Ministry of Defence, Ship House, Abuja.
Gen. Musa—nominated on Tuesday by President Bola Tinubu following the resignation of former minister Muhammed Badaru—was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday.
His appointment, widely welcomed across security and governance circles, is expected to boost defence operations, with analysts pointing to his firm, coordinated and innovative leadership as Chief of Defence Staff between 2023 and 2025.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new minister arrived at the ministry at about 11:10 a.m., inspected the quarter guard in line with military tradition, and exchanged pleasantries with service chiefs and senior officials on arrival.
He immediately proceeded into a closed-door meeting with the service chiefs and directors of the ministry.
