NAN-H-48
Security
By Yahaya Isah
Abuja, Nov. 14, 2016 (NAN) The Minister of Defence, retired Brig.-Gen. Muhammad Dan-Ali has charged Defence Advisers and Attachés at Nigeria’s foreign missions to focus on matters relevant to the country’s security.
Dan-Ali gave the charge in his keynote address at the 2016 Defence Advisers and Attachés Annual Conference in Abuja on Monday.
“It will be unacceptable for Defence Attachés to report just anything; you will have to focus on matters that are relevant to Nigeria’s security.
“You must develop a new outlook as the realities of the 21st century mandates that Defence Attachés play a wider overt and covert role in ensuring national security,“ he said.
He said that reports generated by the attachés and advisers would be an integral part of the ministry’s strategic assessment and decision-making.
He said that the defence attaché system had contributed to upholding the country’s national security, adding that Nigeria would continue to collaborate with international partners for the desired transformation.
“The focus now is to provide more clarity and perspective so that much more can be achieved,“ the minister said.
Dan-Ali noted that with the complexity and uncertainty of present day’s security environment, there was a need for innovations to provide sustainable military and political outcomes.
He said that the recent successes against terrorism signified that the military could achieve much more through the right attitude.
The minister noted that the insurgency in the North East and pipelines vandalism in the Niger Delta constituted the biggest challenges to national security.
He said that the emerging security threats in the world necessitated the country’s military to articulate new and effective means of tackling these challenges.
“Our ultimate end should therefore be to ensure the peace, security, stability and prosperity of the people of Nigeria,“ he said.
Earlier, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, AVM Muhammad Usman, urged the participants to address the issues of security seriously.
He said that the conference was aimed at addressing security challenges with emphasises on national security, defence and development of the country.
Usman said the theme – “Harnessing Potentials of the Defence Attaché System for improved National Security in Nigeria’’ – would position the country on a path of sustainable peace and security.
According to him, the security challenges facing the country were growing increasingly unpredictable and terrifying. (NAN)
YI/JPE/WOJ
(Edited by Joseph Edeh / Wale Ojetimi)
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