The Nation Newspaper

Tag: DICON

  • Stop actions that can chase away investors, DG tells DICON staff

    Stop actions that can chase away investors, DG tells DICON staff

    The Director General of Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Major General Aniedi Edet, has appealed to workers of the Corporation to desist from industrial actions like their recent protests over certain allowances yet to be paid by the federal government.

    General Edet said such industrial actions were not only capable of discouraging the Corporation’s foreign partners from bringing their investments to DICON but also constituted a threat to national security.

    The director general said that the Corporation has gone into partnership with over 50 foreign and local partners since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the amended DICON Act into law in November last year.

    He added that the partnership, especially with foreign investors, most of whom are bringing in money and expertise from different directions of and spares of defence productions, will turn around the face of Nigeria’s military-industrial complex.

    DICON Director General appealed his routine ‘Durbar’, engagement with staff of the Corporation at its Ordinance Factory in Kaduna.

    The DG who took time to explain the misconceptions that, only DICON is not on the IPPIS payment platform and that only DICON staff have not been paid 2019 Minimum wage areas, showed the staff, documents indicating that, several other Federal Government agencies that fall within the same category.

    He however assured that workers the DICON Management under his leadership was constantly writing and reminding the Federal Ministry of Finance of such yet-to-be-settled benefits.

    Read Also: DICON: protesting workers are saboteurs, risk imprisonment, says DG

    Speaking to journalists shortly after the engagement, Major General Edet said: “Staff engagement is very key to us at DICON and that is why we have been consistent on this kind of engagement we call Durbar. This is because we have five management pillars in DICON which guide our management engagement. The first of the management pillars is the issue of Business Orientation; we said we are going to be running DICON as a business-oriented enterprise.

    “The second one is the issue of professionalism and we have seen professionalism manifesting in DICON in so many ways. The issue of getting back to production is a professional part that DICON has been able to achieve.

    “But, one of the key pillars, which is the third of our management pillars, has been communication. When I resumed here in July last year, I discovered there were communication gaps, but we have been able to close that gap. We have been communicating with staff and this engagement we just had today, is one in a series of such engagements that we have been having.

    “One of the things I recall telling the staff during today’s engagement, was that, we have brought out an innovation to even take our communication further. We are also going to have our maiden DICON Information Bulletin which we are going to be publishing every quarter.

    “The last two of the pillars is staff welfare and partnerships, which were the real essence of this engagement and I am happy with the response of the staff.

    “As you may recall, Mr President signed the Amended DICON Act into in November last year and by virtue of that, DICON has been repositioned and mandated to even perform much more. We have gone back to production, we have gone to do our maiden kamikaze drones and so many others things that have brought so many partners back to DICON.

    “We have over 50 partners, both local and international, that have indicated interest in working with DICON. Many of them are bringing in money, some of them are bringing expertise, many of them are coming in from different directions and spares of defence productions and we believe this is going to turn the face of our military-industrial complex around.

    “So, I told them that, we must give a good impression to our foriegn partners;, we must desist from acts like unnecessarily industrial actions, because such acts might misinform our partners that DICON is not doing what it’s supposed to do. It might reduce our investment and also threaten national security,” he said

    During the engagement, General Edet rewarded staff who have distinguished themselves in the course of their duty and those who played key roles in putting out a fire outbreak at the DICON Ordinance Factory recently.

  • DICON: protesting workers are saboteurs, risk imprisonment, says DG

    DICON: protesting workers are saboteurs, risk imprisonment, says DG

    Director-General of Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Maj.-Gen. Aniedi Edet, has described the protest by some of the Corporation’s staff as ‘mischievous, baseless and an act of sabotage against the Federal Government’s development programmes’.

    He warned that those involved in the protest risk prison terms going by the provisions of the employee conditions of service, which forbids protest, trade unionism and strike by staff of the Corporation.

    Some civilian members of staff of the Corporation protested non-enrolment into the Federal Government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), non-payment of their allowances and salary arrears in the last few years. They marched on the DICON factory in Kakuri area, Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    Read Also: ‘Edo APC Dep Gov candidate Idahosa not arrested in Europe’

    They carried placards with their demands like ‘Enrollment into IPPIS’; ‘Payment of our six months arrears’; ‘Payment of 2019 minimum wage arrears’; ‘Stop lopsided payment of allowance’ and ‘Payment of 2022 and 2023 promotion arrears’.

    Gen. Edet stressed that salaries are paid promptly, and explained that normal official processes were being followed to serve the beneficiaries, ‘but it requires patience’.

    He, however, reminded the protesting staff of the provisions of the staff conditions of service and its consequences if violated.

    “By Section 3 (11) of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) Act 1962, it is an offence punishable by imprisonment on conviction of any person employed by the Corporation in any capacity to take part in a strike or trade union activities. The management shall establish proper channels of communication with employees in order to address issues affecting their joint or individual interest.”

  • DICON: Protesting staff are saboteurs, risk imprisonment, says DG

    DICON: Protesting staff are saboteurs, risk imprisonment, says DG

    …why we embarked on protest – Staff

    The Director General of Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Major General Aniedi Edet, has reacted to the recent protest by some of the corporation’s staff, describing their action as mischievous, baseless, and act of sabotage against the Federal Government’s development programmes.

    The DG also warned that the affected staff risked prison terms going by the provisions of the Act of Employees’ conditions of Service, which forbids protest, trade unionism, and strikes by the staff of the Corporation.

    Some civilian staff of the Corporation had protested non-enrolment into the Federal Government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), and non-payment of their allowances and salary arrears in the last few years.

    However, the staff during a protest in front of the DICON factory located in the Kakuri area, Kaduna South Local Government were seen with a banner conveying their messages to the management including, ‘Enrollment into IPPIS’, ‘Payment of our 6 months’, ‘Payment of 2019 minimum wage arrears’, ‘Stop lopsided payment of allowance’ and ‘Payment of 2022 and 2023 promotion arrears

    While explaining to newsmen about the financial entitlements of Staff, the DICON boss said normal official processes were being followed to serve the beneficiaries, but require patience, adding that salaries were always promptly paid.

    Read Also: How to surmount security challenges, by DICON DG

    The DG however, reminded the protesting staff of the provisions of the staff conditions of service and its consequences if violated, saying, “Section 3: ( Sub-section 11): By the provisions of section 11 of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria ( DICON) Act 1962 it is an offence punishable by imprisonment on conviction of any person employed by the Corporation in any capacity to take part in a strike or trade union activities the management shall establish proper channels of communication with employees in order to address issues affecting their joint or individual interest”.

    Major General Edet who took time to explain the workings of the Corporation lamented that the protesting workers kept on telling lies that it is only DICON that is on Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and as such they should be migrated to Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

    According to the DG, “The lies they tell is that it is only DICON that is on GIFMIS. It is not true. It is a government platform. Am I the one who brought GIFMIS? If the government platform is not good, then you are telling Abuja they don’t know what they are doing. I should go and tell Abuja to change it from Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) to Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) And they will stop your salary for six months. It will take sometimes to successfully move from GIFMIS to IPPIS. They will be on my neck if they don’t get a salary for six months. And What about other agencies that are also there on the platform? We are taking this up with the Ministry of Defence and the ministry has noted. The whole staff of DICON have received their April salary.

    “And the protesting staff dropped their banner and went to the bank to collect their salaries and came back and picked the banner. They ran to the pressmen to report the protest. Did they tell the pressmen about the salary? So they misinformed the pressmen that it is only DICON that is on GIFMIS. Every defence agency is on GIFMIS, they collect their salary and pay.”

  • How to surmount security challenges, by DICON DG

    How to surmount security challenges, by DICON DG

    • ‘Indigenous military capabilities necessary’

    The Director General of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Maj.-Gen. Aniedi Edet, has said Nigeria’s security challenges demand indigenous military capabilities to surmount.

    Edet spoke at the opening of a two-day DICON management staff seminar which started yesterday in Kaduna.

    The DICON boss noted that the current realities in Nigeria, as security challenges being faced, demanded military capabilities.

    He added that most of the capabilities given to the Armed Forces were not from DICON, hence the difficulties to buy defence wares from outside the country.

    Citing the repatriation of foreign exchange, Edet said it took time for defence capabilities to arrive in the country.

    The DICON boss stressed the imperatives of stepping up indigenisation to meet up the nation’s defence needs.

    According to him, the seminar is meant to foster the mandate of DICON, which is to achieve self-reliance in defence material productions in support of national development and security.

    “Since taking over as DG DICON in July 2023, my management team and I have been committed towards achieving the corporation’s mandate based on my pillars/philosophy,” Edet said.

    The DICON boss listed his pillars and philosophy to include business-oriented mindset, professionalism, communication, welfare of workers, as well as collaboration and partnership.

    Read Also: Tinubu assents to DICON Bill 2023

    He explained that the road map to achieving the broad objectives was to quickly identify and pursue vigorously the desired changes that were within the corporation’s realm and resources to execute.

    Edet solicited the intervention of the Ministry of Defence on the concerns that were outside the corporation’s resources.

    He restated DICON’s commitment to excellence, resilience, and synergy that echoed through the factories of the corporation.

    The DICON boss said the seminar would serve as a catalyst for greater achievements and collective work towards a more secured and prosperous Nigeria.

    The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 1 Division Nigeria Army in Kaduna, Maj.-Gen. Valentine Okoro, said he had realised that the security threats the nation faced was enormous.

    According to him, the critical game changer is the deployment of the right equipment.

    Okoro added that the current realities in Nigeria showed that getting the equipment from outside the shores of Nigeria could be challenging due to international politics/bureaucracy and other forces.

  • President backing indigenous production of arms, ammunition, says DG DICON

    From Bassey Anthony, Uyo

    The Director General, Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Maj.-Gen. Aniedi Edet, has said Nigeria would soon be self-reliant in the production of arms and ammunition.

    Speaking with The Nation yesterday in Uyo, Maj.-Gen. Edet said the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration had provided funds for DICON to manufacture arms and ammunition for the military and other security agencies.

    He said the intervention of the current administration had helped in the fight against insurgency, banditry and other security threats facing Nigeria.

    “We know that insurgency has been the bane of security and one of the challenges of the Nigerian nation over the years.

    “You will also recall that our forces are doing so much in that regard. What DICON does is to provide the materials that sustain the effort of the armed forces and to this extent; we are producing arms and ammunition.

    Read Also: Appeal Court upholds Orji Kalu’s election

    “As I speak to you, I have orders to produce for the Nigerian Army, even State Security Services. We can’t just put on papers what we do. But across the nation, I can tell you that no fewer than four states have already placed orders for what we produce and this is just going to go into fighting insurgency”

    Maj.-Gen. Edet, who last weekend was conferred with the award of Knight of Saint Wesley by the Methodist Church of Nigeria, said: “The government of President Tinubu is already having a focused intervention to put DICON where it is supposed to be.

    “In the past we used to have problem of funding. The work of DICON and what it does is strategic intervention. I want to put it on note with all appreciation that the President in less than the few months he has been in the office has already done that.

    ‘We have programmes intervention under the direction of the two ministers of Defence. Just two days ago, I was in China to discuss with our partner in this regard.

    “About two weeks ago I was in Turkey for the same regard. So, my challenges are things that should be discussed in the past, not in the present.”

  • DICON boosts Army Infantry School

    Nigerian Army School of Infantry Commandant Brig-Gen. J. Sarham has reiterated that the school would always explore possible areas of collaboration with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).

    Brig-Gen. Sarham said the school was one of the stakeholders as well as benefactors of the corporation’s products.

    He stressed that NASI has benefited much from the premier defence industry.

    The commandant, who spoke when he visited DICON headquarters, Kaduna, noted that he was delighted with the success stories emanating from DICON, especially in the area of fabrication of new spare parts for the back-loaded weapons from the theatres of operation across the country, especially the Northeast, through reverse engineering.

    He said the Director General of DICON, Maj-Gen. Bamidele Ogunkale mentored him as a cadet in the Nigerian Defence Academy and he was quite abreast of his antecedent as a trail-blazer. He added that he could not assume new office in Jaji, without paying him homage.

    According to him, he would always capitalize on the proximity of Jaji to Kaduna to constantly solicit the support and tutelage of the DG, gleaning from his wealth of experience.

    “I was in the Northeast for a period and it is true that the Electronic Jammer and the Integrated Reinforced Obstacle Belt (IROB) patented by General Ogunkale, which were launched into the theatre of operation, dramatically changed the narratives of the fight against the insurgents for good,” he said.

    He noted that DICON was being looked upon as home of research and technology, hence the need for NASI to always come to the corporation for solution.

    According to Brig-Gen. Sarham, there could be no business in the School of Infantry without definite assistance from the premier industry.

    Maj-Gen.  Ogunkale gave a detailed brief of the current activities of DICON, noting that in the past, the perception of some members of the public was that the corporation produce only furniture.

    According to him, when the production of military products were at the low owing to break down of machines or low patronage, excess capacity from the wood factory established solely to produce rifle butts as well as ammunition boxes for packaging was used to produce furniture.

    He stressed that the corporation was able to offset bills through that, while at the same time, carrying out civil function in aid to civil authority.

    He added that DICON was taking some giant strides through reverse engineering, adding that many repairs have been carried out for the army and Airforce.

    He promised to send a team to NASI, who would assess their area of need before swinging into action.

  • Naval chief hails DICON on small arms production

    THE Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has hailed the Director-General, Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Maj-Gen. Bamidele Ogunkale and his management team.

    He lauded them for stirring the ship of the corporation to make Nigeria self-sufficient in the production of arms and ammunitions.

    He said he was delighted with the progress report emanating from the industry.

    The naval boss spoke when the DG DICON visited him at the Navy Headquarters in Abuja.

    Ibas noted that the effort of DICON in building a Primer Cap factory, a major component needed for complete production of ammunition at Kachia, was a laudable project worthy of commendation.

    He added that when the project is completed and production starts, it will boost the military operations across the country.

    “The current dwindling or scarce resources from the Federal Government, coupled with the overt or covert animosity from other nations within the global community, makes it more imperative for us to look inward for urgent solution to our ordnance needs,” he said.

    The CNS, who thanked the DICON boss for a detailed brief about the activities of the only Defence Industry in West African sub-region, said he had been well-informed.

    Headded that the ammunitions produced when the Primer Cap Factory must have been completed, will serve the interest of the Armed Forces and even other security agencies. He promised that the Nigerian Navy would collaborate with the corporation as one of the major stakeholders

    DICON boss Maj Gen Ogunkale said he took the bull by the horn when he assumed office to vigorously pursue the project of the Primer Cap Factory with the aim of making the nation self-sufficient in terms of production of various calibers of ammunitions.

    He added that when he was saddled with the onerous task of piloting the affairs of DICON, the factories’ state of readiness was about 30 per cent.

    But now, he was delighted to note that the factories were at 90 per cent ready owing to some new installations put in place, which include new transformers and replacement of some key machines.

    He stated with sense of fulfillment that DICON was doing well in reverse engineering, stressing that the weapons back-loaded from the theatre of operations across the country, mainly from the Nigerian Army holding, have been repaired in the corporation’s Ordnance factory.

    He added that the industry was ready to collaborate with the Navy in some areas, especially the fabrication of new parts through reverse engineering.

  • French firm to partner DICON

    THE Chief Executive Officer, Proforce Limited, a private company which is into production of defence products, Ade Ogundeyin, has emphasised the need for Nigeria to become self-sufficient in the production of military hardware for its military and other security agencies.

    He spoke when he led a team from his international partners, Nexter Group of France, to the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) on tour of its factory.

    The tour was part of plan to explore possible areas of collaboration aimed at fashioning the production of some military hardware in Nigeria.

    According to the Proforce boss, there was no better time than the one made available by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, who he said, had demonstrated the political will when he directed the Ministry of Defence to come up with the blueprint for establishing a Military Industrial Complex (MIC).

    MIC, he said, would contain overdependence on reluctant international partners in the areas of meeting the ordnance needs of Nigeria’s military.

    His words: “Nexter Group will no doubt be a good, dependable partner in our plans to produce military hardware locally. The group will also supply us with the much orchestrated transfer of technology and the proposed Military Industrial Complex (MIC) will be a reality in no distant time.”

    The Proforce CEO said the arduous task before the military was to silence Boko Haram, adding that any disturbance to Nigeria was a disturbance to Africa and by extension, the world at large.

    “This is why we need to act fast on the issue Military Industrial Complex. When fully established, the nation can compete favourably with other nations of the world on issue of military products,” he said.

    He noted with dismay the opposing view of a senator from the United States Congress who faulted the President Trump’s plans to sell military hardware to Nigeria based on alleged abuse of human right.

    He stressed the need for the nation to look inward.

    Director General DICON Maj-Gen Bamidele Ogunkale said there was no way the corporation could attain its goals of meeting the ordnance needs of the Armed Forces and other security agencies without going into collaboration with other defence related companies, either locally or internationally, especially in the era of economic downturn facing the nation.

    He hailed the CEO Proforcefor his contributions to the success stories emanating from DICON, adding that the Memorandum of Understanding between the corporation and Proforce will be further expanded to accommodate Nexter Group.

  • ‘DICON can make Nigeria great’

    The Chairman, Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Air Commodore Joseph Adeleke, has described the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) as having the inherent potential of leading the country out of the woods.

    This, according to him, is based on the calibre of equipment in the corporation’s ordnance factory.

    Commodore Adeleke, who was on facility tour of DICON’s Ordnance Factory, said he visited DICON before now but what he saw on ground in his recent visit is worthy of commendation.

    He added that the Director-General, Maj.-Gen. Bamidele Ogunkale, who he described as a trailblazer, was making the country proud with the success stories emanating from the corporation.

    According to him, the committee picked DICON to play a key role in its effort to contain the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, especially in marking them for easy control and destruction.

    He added that destruction of surrendered or confiscated weapons had been a very sensitive issue because members of the committee could be easily accused of double standard, stressing that they would always ensure there was adequate media coverage at the collection point and during destruction.

    Gen. Ogunkale lauded the committee for its services to the country. He said DICON is ready to partner the committee to ease effective service delivery, both for the committee and the corporation, adding that the country will be better for it.

  • INNOSON backs DICON to produce military hardware

    INNOSON Group is willing to collaborate with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) to meet the ordnance needs of the armed forces and other security agencies, its chairman, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, has said.

    He spoke when he visited DICON headquarters and the Ordnance Factory with his chief engineer and other experts in his industry for an on the spot assessment of DICON’s facilities.

    His word: “DICON will surely not remain the same after this collaborative effort must have come to fruition. I am a Nigerian and I have great passion for the quick industrialisation of my country. I am highly optimistic if DICON moves well, Nigeria will also move well because it occupies a very strategic position in our collective efforts to move the nation forward in terms of local production of what we need.”

    According to the firm chairman, Nigeria has something on ground to win respect of “other global competitors, who would be ever ready to make our nation a dumping ground for their finished products, if only we would take the bull by the horn to develop what we have”.

    Chukwuma stated that his visit to DICON was not in pursuit of money but interest of his beloved country.

    He stressed that the growth of Nigeria’s potentials occupies a central place in his heart rather than pursuit of money.

    DICON Director General Maj-Gen. Bamidele Ogunkale noted that the corporation, through the ingenuity of its technical workers, complimented by an array of functional machines at the corporation’s Ordnance Factories, was able to refurbish assorted weapons back-loaded to the corporation for repairs from military theatre of operations across the country.

    He added that some challenges such as obsolete equipment in some areas, lack of spares, necessitated his efforts in approaching some selected industries in the eastern part of Nigeria of which Innoson Group was number one.