Tag: Defence minister

•Pledge to “effectively” end insurgency

Minister of Defence, Muhammad Dan-Ali, has assured soldiers fighting insurgency in the North East of government’s commitment to provide the needed logistics to expeditiously end insurgency in the country.

He gave the assurance in Damaturu at the weekend at a Christmas lunch organised for troops locked in battle with Boko Haram.

He acknowledged some of the challenges facing the operations and noted that most of the challenges were being addressed.

He also urged the troops to remain committed to the war against insurgency in the North East.

“While your welfare needs are being addressed, I urge you to continue to adhere to all the rules of engagement in your operations,” he said.

But he urged them to respect the rights of people in your host communities as “all your actions and inactions will be accounted for.”

Also speaking, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, commended the troops for their sacrifices.

He said their contributions in the defeat of terrorism would not be forgotten in a hurry.

Olonisakin, however, urged the troops not to relent in their efforts to effectively end the insurgency.

He said: “we are gradually moving into 2016, therefore, we must not rest on our oars to win the war.

“As we move into 2016 I want to enjoin you to be more determined to reclaim all lost territories, that is the charge and demand on all of you as we enter the New Year.

“On our part we will do our best to ensure that all logistics and welfare required to prosecute the war to a logical conclusion were provided,” he said.

Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff, said the visit of the defence minister would boost the morale of troops in the ongoing operation.

He noted that the situation in the troubled region has improved tremendously and attributed the feat to the sacrifices of the troops.

“The security situation has greatly improved and I want to congratulate the troops for a job well done.

“We are entering the New Year and I believe that we will start winding down to conclude the operation,’’ he said.

Yobe Deputy Governor Abubakar Aliyu confirmed that the security situation had indeed improved in the state.

He said unlike the previous festivities since the insurgency started, residents were able to celebrate the yuletide without fear of any attack from the insurgents.

The event, held at Army Headquarters Logistic Base in Damaturu, was attended distinguished guests who served the soldiers with various delicacies

The  Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Abubakar Sadiq yesterday paid a similar morale boosting visit to troops in Yola,Adamawa where he enjoined men of the 5 Strike Group Battalion of the Air Force  have been enjoined not to relent in their fight against insurgency even during this festive period.

Air Marshall Sadiq commended the officers and men of the battalion for their efforts in curtailing terrorism in the north-east, especially in providing logistics support in the operations.

“The purpose of my visit to Yola is first and foremost to convey President Muhammadu Buhari’s greetings to our pilots and technicians who have been doing an excellent job in the north-east to deal with the internal security of insurgency problem we are having here in the north-east.

“The honourable Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff are in Damaturu, I was with them yesterday (Friday) in Maiduguri while they were with the troops in Damaturu, I am here (in Yola) to convey the greetings of Mr President to our pilots and technicians and to also have the opportunity to also celebrate the Christmas with them.

“In the past, you would   find the terrorists moving in 15, 20 Hilux vehicles attacking one village after the other. I’m sure you haven’t heard of that since the directive was given.

“The terrorists are now more or less suicide bombers because they can’t really move in large numbers to occupy our territory and kill our people.

“I think, to a large extent, we have substantially degraded their capacity and have been able to meet the deadline. What we are doing now, is just to improve what we have been able to achieve,” the Air Chief said.

President Mohammadu Buhari’s recent visit to the United States would be yielding about $13. 5 billion investments, including $2. 1 billion World Bank developmental projects in war-ravaged parts of the North-East, Minister of Defence, Monsur Dan-Ali has said.

The Minister who was delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 2015 annual conference of Defence Advisers/Attaches at the Defence Intelligence Agency headquarters in Abuja on Monday said that US investors are considering investing $11.5 billion.

At the event with the theme ‘Enhancing the Defence Attaché System towards a Sustainable National Security in Nigeria’, the Minister explained that they plan to invest $5 billion in Nigeria’s agricultural sector; $5 billion in power sector, and another $1.5 billion in the nation’s health sector.

Dan-Ali who expressed concern over what he described as the resurgence of extremism, geo-politics, ethno-religious and sectional conflicts in the country also stated that the Federal Government was determined to ensure substantial investments in the Armed Forces’ personnel and operational communications equipment.

“He (President Buhari) similarly embarked on consultations with major powers like the United Kingdom, France and the United States.

“Furthermore, he has made presentations at the G8 Summit and the United Nations; iIn all these engagements, he solicited cooperation and assistance in ending the Boko Haram insurgency which all came with tangible responses and promises of deepening cooperation with the country.

“For instance, some of the more fundamental benefits of the President’s trip to the US include: the proposed $2.1 billion fund from the World Bank for the redevelopment of the Boko Haram battered North East; $5 billion from the US investors in Nigeria’s Agricultural Sector; $1.5 billion investment in the health sector; and another $5 billon investment from the US in our country’s power sector,” the Minister stated.

He urged all the nation’s Defence Attaches and Military Advisers to ensure the a robust productive relationship with their host countries based on the principle of mutual respect and cooperation.

According to the Defence Minister, Nigeria and the rest of the world is confronted with increasing security challenges, which requires robust security strategy and continuous adjustment in tactic to meet its unconventional nature.

He said: “You are all aware that the world is undergoing profound changes and confronted with growing number of security challenges. Old and new, traditional and non-traditional, we still have quite a few long lasting conflicts and resurgence of geo-politics, which is truly worrisome.

“We are faced with the rise of international terrorism, extremism, proliferation and mounting ethno-religious and sectional conflicts. And in broader sense, we are confronted with security challenges such as cross border crimes, climate changes, cyber security, energy security, food security, natural disaster and infectious diseases.”

In his own speech, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Air Vice Marshal Monday Morgan affirmed that the DIA has now deployed effective technology for intelligence gathering and further evolved a sustainable psychological operations mechanism for the armed forces towards addressing the counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in the North East.

Pointing out that Nigeria is fighting a new global threat in view of Boko Haram’s ideological and logistical links to international collaborators, he said that the country was fighting a war whose principal weapon was information dominance, adding that intelligence was the central element in the understanding and prosecution of such campaigns.

Stressing that the DIA’s intelligence gathering efforts is focussed on a war that is  different from any other conflict that Nigeria has been involved in over the years, Morgan said that the DIA was ‘building a very new capability that would enhance the nation’s immediate national security in addition to re-asserting Nigeria’s strategic leadership.’

He stated also that the experience the nation would draw from the regional security outfit, the Multi National Joint Task Force would be used in handling future security challenges including likely resurgence of insurrection in the Niger Delta or in regional peacekeeping.