Ministry of Defence committed to effective performance of the defence sector – Obada. The Ministry of Defence is poised to providing administrative and supportive services for the effective performance of the defence sector and the Nigerian armed forces. These activities will enable the Ministry of Defence achieve its vision of actualizing a defence sector with modernized and well trained armed forces, fully professionalized, compact and mobile with adequate equipment, fire power and communications. The above were the comments of the Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada during the 2013 Ministerial Platform on the activities and programmes of the Ministry of Defence from June, 2012 to June, 2013. The Minister pointedly told her audience at the briefing that the Ministry of Defence is strategic for the achievement of the security objectives of the Federal Government as specified in the Transformation Agenda; hence, she said, through series of policy interventions, strategic plans and annual budget implementation, her team at the Defence Ministry, has continued to sustain the protection and defence of Nigeria’s territorial integrity by the armed forces of Nigeria. The Minister said that, also due to current challenges, there is increasing necessity to reposition the defence sector in line with international best practices and to do this, her team implemented and instituted programmes within the context of the Ministry’s vision and in consonance with the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan which resulted in some key achievements. On the achievements, Erelu Obada reported the development of the Military Industrial Complex of Nigeria through research and development efforts which she said necessitated the committee set up to reposition the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) for greater efficiency. The Minister of State further reported that the report of the committee has been submitted to Mr. President and it is expected that the recommendations would help initiate a transformation in the local production of military equipment. Erelu Obada also reported that DICON is also in the process of partnering with a private organization under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement for the production of Armoured Personnel Carriers. The Minister of State also reported the support given by the Ministry of Defence to peacekeeping missions especially in terms of improving the state of contingent owned equipment of Nigerian peacekeepers in various missions. The Minister of State mentioned that the Ministry provided support services to the tri-Service institutions and Defence Parastatals to ensure effective accomplishment of their mission objectives within the period under review. The tri-Service institutions are the National Defence College, the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Nigerian Defence Academy and Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre. The Defence Parastatals include the Defence Industries Corporation if Nigeria, the Military Pensions Board, the Defence Health Maintenance Limited and the Presidential Committee on Barracks Rehabilitation. Also reported was the effort to improve the administration of military pensioners as evidenced in the approval granted in 2012 by the Federal Government for the inclusion of all military pensioners in the National Health Insurance Scheme. In the area of health care, the Minister of State reported that the Ministry of Defence HIV Programme Emergency Plan Implementation Committee (EPIC) in partnership with the United States Department of Defence HIV Programme offered HIV counselling and test services to many Nigerians and placed over 25,000 on anti-retroviral therapy. She disclosed additionally that in the last one year, 15 new sites were established. The plight of orphans and vulnerable children from HIV/AIDS was reportedly also made a major focus of attention of the Ministry. The Minister of State said in line with this, the Ministry inaugurated a Board of Trustees to oversee that their needs are fully catered for and “already 50 children are benefiting from this arrangement.” The Ministerial Platform briefing was well attended with all the Military Service Chiefs, Directors of the Ministry of Defence, Civil Society Organizations and the media present.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 12:41:41 +0000
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