Nigeria is faced with myriad of security challenges including terrorism, pipeline vandalism, criminality, armed banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping, ethno religious conflicts and trans-border criminal activities amongst others. These Security challenges posed some treats to social economic and political stability of the country like so many other countries of the world.
The Hon. Minister Mohammad Dan-Ali disclosed this while receiving in audience, the delegation from National Defence University Islamabad on courtesy visit to the ministry.
While addressing the audience, he said “we are conscious of instability in the security architecture of the country, and the Government is making Multi-positive and conscious approach in tackling the challenges by providing enabling environment and motivations to the Armed Forces as welfare to ensure successes in their fight against terrorism”
To ensure we have a strong professional Armed Forces that is responsible, responsive, well equipped and capable of playing their roles in a professional manner, the Permanent Secretary who represented the Hon. Minister said that the government is in the process of reviewing National Defence strategy to ensure that it conforms with international standard to meet with the contemporary challenges of our time. She further said that citizenry participation in fighting insurgency in conjunction with the Armed Forces will no doubt reduce permanently or possibly exterminate the contemporary settings that we find ourselves, and contrary to this, little or nothing can be achieved.
Mrs Batagarawa eulogies the military in their efforts towards stabilizing peace locally and internationally, like participating in the various United Nations Peace Keeping Mission, spearheading in the regional integration in the West African Sub-region, thereby ensuring stability in the region.
Expressing her satisfaction to the delegates for making Ministry of Defence as one of her point of call and other strategic institutions that will bring peace all over the world, Mrs. Batagarawa welcomed the offer from the Islamabad to support Nigeria in her efforts to fight terrorism in the country, emphasized that the support will be better appreciated in the area of tackling security challenges in the country.
She equally briefed them on the achievements of the Ministry so far, which includes: degrading the capacity of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, arrest of several high profile Boko Haram commanders and the release of over thirty persons held hostage by the terrorists, the release of one hundred and five Chibok Girls and one hundred students of Dapchi Secondary School amongst others.
Earlier speaking, Air Cdre Tacy Usmam Ashon thanked the Permanent Secretary for hosting them and cross fertilizing ideas with them, saying that they have learnt a lot from their knowledge of the duties and organizations of ministry of Defence as espoused in the power point presentations.
He further said that the University of Islamabad are undergoing 909 round of courses and it is part of their curriculum too, to visit different countries to gain knowledge and also take home certain lessons for the improvement of the respective services. In his words, “we are here as one of the groups, while other group made up of 200 officers have been divided into eleven groups and had also gone to other twenty countries”, The group here comprises of eighteen officers, three from the faculty and the rest from Islamabad Army, Navy and Air Force.
Air Cdre Tacy Usmad Ahon said, that Pakistan sees Nigeria as their “close brothers’ as we have lots in common. He assured her country’s readiness to support Nigeria in her fight against terrorism, which he agreed requires the participation of the whole nation, not the military alone. “We are ready to attend to Nigeria any time our attention is needed; your request shall be granted with good intention” he stressed.
