- Panel to submit report in 6 weeks
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd) on Tuesday inaugurated a 24-member committee o implement the recommendations of Reform Committee for the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The Committee has as its Chairman, former Chief of Army Staff, Major General Alwali Jauji Kazir.
Inaugurating the committee, General Magashi assured Nigerians that more positive impact of a rejuvenated and repositioned new Defence Sector will be felt in the discharge of its constitutional mandate.
General Magashi gave the assurance at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters Abuja during the inauguration of A- 24 – Man Committee to implement the recommendations of the Reform Committee for the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The Minister gave the committee a seven-point terms of reference to examine the recommendations of the Reform Committee’s report and classify them into immediate, Short, medium and long term as appropriate.
He said the onus is on the ‘Implementation and Advisory Committee’ to Institute necessary mechanisms to facilitate the execution of the recommendations that are within the approval threshold of the Minister of Defence.
It’s terms of reference also include Monitoring progress in the implementation of recommendations by the Ministry of Defence, Defence Headquarters and Services’ Headquarters, develop strategies to tackle any envisaged bottlenecks as well as perform such other functions as may be assigned.
Earlier in the opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defence, Musa Istifanus challenged members of the Committee to see their assignment as a duty call to render selfless service to the nation.
Istifanus said the membership of the Committee was “carefully selected based on their pedigrees and impeccable records of services to the nation.”
He therefore urged them to bring their rich wealth of experience to bear on their new task.
Responding, the Committee Chairman, Major General Kazir assured the Minister of Defence of their firm commitment to carry out the assigned task towards “emplacing envisioned robust, responsible and responsive Armed Forces capable of delivering results in today’s volatile and ambiguous environment.”
In February this year, the Minister of Defence inaugurated the Reform Committee chaired by the Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Ndatsu Umaru (rtd) and the panel consequently submitted its recommendations in April 2021.