The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mansur Dan-Ali

  • Capture of Sambisa’s Camp Zairo not end of campaign- Minister

    Capture of Sambisa’s Camp Zairo not end of campaign- Minister

    The Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Mansur Dan Ali on Monday said the capture of Camp Zairo in Sambisa forest is the end of mission and not the campaign against Boko Haram.

    The Minister spoke in Yola at the Command centre of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) during a briefing for members of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) team.

    The BBOG group had been invited by the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on an operational visit to Sambisa forest to have a first-hand view of how the military has been fighting the war on insurgency and the efforts to rescue the abducted Chibok girls.

    The BBOG team which comprised of the convener and former Minister of Education, Mrs. Oby Ezekwezili, the coordinator BBOG, Aisha Yesufu and another official, Dr. Manaseh Allen.

    The Minister was responding to questions from Ms. Ezekwezili on why the military is still conducting operations in sambisa when it claimed to have captured it.

    “Camp Zairo is the spiritual headquarters of Boko Haram, it doesn’t mean when you capture that all of them will disappear but it is significant because it was thought that the place was impregnable.

    “Capturing Camp Zairo is the end of the mission to capture the place, we are not saying the campaign is over but we have dominated camp Zairo,” the Minister said.

    Leading the briefing, the Air Officer Commanding, Tactical Air Command, Air Vice Marshal, Nurudeen Balogun  said the NAF Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance  (ISR) missions over Sambisa forest have revealed sightings of women and children, many trying to flee Boko Haram.

    Also present at  the briefing were the  Minister for Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.

    The team left Abuja aboard the Air Transport Plane Hercules C-130 for Yola where a full briefing was held.

    “We have intensified our ISR to ensure displaced Boko Haram members do not regroup. Since January 1 to 15, 2017, we have flown a number of sorties and there have been some sightings of abductees,” Balogun said.

  • Nigeria to get 3m euros from Germany for military equipment

    Nigeria to get 3m euros from Germany for military equipment

    Germany is to provide Nigeria with three million Euros for the procurement of surveillance equipment, mobile medical care unit and other support services for the country’s armed forces .

    The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, announced this on Sunday at joint news conference with the German Defence Minister, Ursala Von dar Leyen, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Air port, Abuja.

    The Germany defence minister was in Abuja to hand over some military equipment donated her country to Nigeria.

    Dan-Ali said that the money would be provided through the extension of the German Technical Advisory Group Agreement for three years, 2017 to 2020.

    The minister said that under the existing agreement between the two countries under the group, 2012 to 2016, Germany had donated two mobile care units with extensive care unit facilities to the country.

    Also donated to the country by Germany, according to Dan-Ali are Vallon metal detector/Improvised Explosive Device and Explosive Ordnance Disposal equipment, as well training of personnel and maintenance of the device.

    He said Nigeria had also received three Mobile Tactical Ground Surveillance Radar systems from Germany for border security in the North East.

    The minister thanked Germany for the assistance it had extended to the Nigerian armed forces so far to enhance their capacity to fight the Boko Haram terrorists.

    “As we are all aware, terrorism is a threat to the existence of humanity and its development. We must, therefore, continue to stand resolute and united in our fight to stamp terrorism out of the planet,’’ Dan-Ali said.

    In her remark, the German defence minister, who handed over the equipment to Dan-Ali, noted that combating terrorism was both “difficult and dangerious.’’

    “Everywhere, the terrorists live bloody trail of destruction and death and time and again, they single out the most vulnerable of their targets like children just like the Boko Haram does in Nigeria.

    “This is why it is in our common interest that the population at home in my country, as well as here in Nigeria is safe so that the economy can grow again.

    “Because that is the basis for jobs and prosperity so people can believe in the future in their homeland,’’ Leyen said.

    According to her, terrorists abuse religion for their own evil purposes. Terrorists spread terror and violence all over the world, in France, Belgium, Aghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, Germany and here in Nigeria.

    Leyen said that the objective of the cooperation between her country and Nigeria was to assist the country to “conduct crisis prevention, crisis management and peace building operations.’’

    “To compliment this, Germany is focusing on practical, very concrete issues – the capability and equipment the Nigerian servicemen need most urgently such as the protection against the many IEDs place by the Boko Haram.’’

    She noted that Nigeria was fighting a hard but most important fight, assuring the support of her country. (NAN)

  • Minister denies retirement of service chiefs

    Minister denies retirement of service chiefs

    The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, has denied that he directed two service chiefs to relinquish their offices and proceed on retirement on or before Dec. 16.

    A statement released by his Public Relations Officer, Col. Tukur Gusau, on Monday in Abuja said his attention was drawn to some online publications purporting that he directed the two service chiefs to hand over on that date.

    There had been reports that the two service chiefs in question are the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin and the Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas

    The statement said: “Please be informed that there was no such communication between the office of the Honourable Minister of Defence and the service chiefs directing any one of them to hand over his office and proceed on retirement.

    “The appointment and replacement of service chiefs is a prerogative responsibility of the office of the President and Commander in Chief.”

  • Military Board reaffirms commitment to pensioners’ welfare

    Military Board reaffirms commitment to pensioners’ welfare

    The Military Pensions Board (MPB) on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to serving military pensioners better in order to improve their welfare.

    The Chairman of the Board, AVM Muhammed Dabo, made the statement during the Military Pensions Stakeholders Interactive Session, at the Military Officers’ Mess, Abuja.

    Dabo said that the primary responsibilities of the Board were the prompt payment of retirements benefits to all retired and discharged armed forces personnel and death benefits to kith and kin of the deceased personnel.

    “I have observed with a deep sense of concern the challenges being faced by our retirees, especially at this time of economic recession,” he said.

    Dabo said most of the complaints or problems faced by pensioners today were as a result of lack of adequate communication between the Board and its stakeholders, particularly the retirees.

    This, he said, informed the reason for the meeting which would avail them with the opportunity to bridge the communication gap and to enhance the understanding of ways of alleviating their plights.

    “Today’s event is, therefore, a continuation in fulfilment of goals set by the Board for better service delivery in military pension’s administration,” Dabo said.

    He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the harmonisation of military pensions in spite of the challenges the country was facing as a result of dwindling revenue.

    The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, said that the quest for sound pension administration in any organisation, be it military or civil, was very important towards improvement in the lives of pensioners.

    The minister was represented by the Director of Army in the ministry, Mrs Oture Irio.

    Dan-Ali noted that pension administration nowadays was a major concern worldwide and military pension was not an exception.

    “It is on this premise that the interactive session was conceived, aimed to create awareness, update the knowledge of the stakeholders, share information and receive feedback from the pensioners.

    “In recent times, we have witnessed a lot of agitations and complaints by military retirees over issues regarding their pensions, especially on harmonisation,’’ he said.

    The minister stated that the recent approval of the harmonisation of pensions by the Federal Government should not be misunderstood for the increment of pensions, but to bridge the gap among pensioners.

    Dan-Ali said that efforts were also underway by the Ministry of Defence, the MPB and the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) to present a Bill for an Act to amend the Armed Forces Pension Act.