ECOWAS chiefs of defence staff meet to tackle regional security challenges - ITREALMS

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The 43rd Ordinary Meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff kicked off in Abuja, Nigeria, with a call to action from the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, reports ITREALMS.

In his welcome address, General Musa emphasized the importance of collective action in addressing the complex security threats facing the West African region. "We must support our political leadership by entrenching a conducive and secure environment for economic development to thrive," he said.

5 personnel: Defence Hqtrs mourn, threatens retaliation against IPOB/ESN - ITREALMS

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The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has reacted to the attack on Troops of Operation Udo Ka deployed at Obikabia Junction Checkpoint in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, which left 5 personnel dead, threatening retaliation, reports ITREALMS.


Just as some thought-leaders, while condemning the unprovoked attack on the troop, called for caution, advising the Defence headquarters to deploy more intelligence despite the provocation.

The Nigerian Defence headquarters while reacting to the attack on the troop in a press statement available to 

ITREALMS, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, lamented the killing and said the military will retaliate against this dastardly act on the troops.

Defence Ministry, PSIN collaborate on public sector governance

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The Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) has sought the collaboration of the Ministry of Defence to modernise public sector governance, reports ITRealms.

Other areas, ITRealms gathered of partnership include management and leadership development through transformational training.

A press statement endorsed by the Head, Press & Public Relations in PSIN, Ekaete Umo, said  the Administrator/Chief Executive Officer of PSIN, Dr. Abdul-Ganiyu Obatoyinbo, made these demands in Abuja during a courtesy call on the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Mrs. Nuratiu Batagarawa in her office.  

While commending the Permanent Secretary for the good work she is already doing for the PSIN, he said the visit was to express appreciation to Batagarawa for her support thus far and to solicit more support from the Ministry.  

He disclosed that his administration is poised to walk the talk to ensure that the Institute becomes a world-class center of excellence, capable of transforming public sector governance, management and leadership development.

The Administrator in his address to the Permanent Secretary and some Directors in the Ministry, said that the PSIN is being transformed and repositioned to operate optimally by developing and resuscitating moribund infrastructures and also building partnerships and collaborations with relevant Local and International organisations for.

Speaking further, Obatoyinbo informed the Permanent Secretary that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, recently commissioned an 80 seater capacity Computer Based Test Centre (CBT) donated by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF).  

This, he added, has increased the number of computers in the Institute to 250 which now qualifies it to be used for JAMB examinations.  He said that with the use of modern learning and teaching facilities, the Institute can now engage resource persons and participants from within and outside the country.

In line with the Federal Civil Service Strategic Implementation Plan (FCSSIP) of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, to transform the Public Service, Obatoyinbo said the PSIN has reviewed its curriculum and developed programmes to build the capacity of Public Servants to make them Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-Centered (EPIC) as well as courses in entrepreneurial development and vocational skills training.

Obatoyinbo said that the Institute has conducted training for several MDAs and is currently arranging for a Bench-marking Study Tour to Malaysia and Singapore.

He requested the Permanent Secretary to find time to visit the Institute to see the transformation that has taken place.

In her response, Batagarawa expressed her delight for the visit to her office, adding that the visit was well timed as the ministry was about to commence arrangement for staff training.  

She assured the Administrator and his team that the Ministry of Defence will patronise PSIN most especially being a training Institute of the Federal Government with the mandate to provide capacity building to Public Servants.

Batagarawa commended the efforts of the Administrator in transforming Institute as well as the introduction of entrepreneurial skills development in the curriculum. 

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Jukuns carpet Army chief's defence of collusion in Taraba killings

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The Jukun Development Association of Nigeria (JDAN) has rejected in its entirety the report by a panel set up by the Nigerian Army to probe allegation of collusion of Nigerian soldiers in the pogrom going on in some parts of Taraba State, where Fulani herdsmen have allegedly been killing farmers and innocent villagers, reports ITRealms.

 At a press conference in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, JDAN National President Chief Bako Benjamin said the panel's report, falls far short of expectations and can at best be described as a shoddy job fit for the waste bin.

He lamented that rather than give hope of justice, to the families of the innocent farmers and other villagers hacked down by the herdsmen, the Army merely engaged in "empty rhetoric" of setting up of panels to cleanse themselves of wrong doings, a practice, for which he said, they are becoming notorious.

According to him, the Nigerian Army yet again missed another opportunity to cleanse itself of allegations of gross abuse leveled against them not only by Gen. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma but by a number of other human rights organisations including Amnesty International (AI).

“The Nigerian army panel did a very poor and unprofessional job and wasted the opportunity to scribble their names in gold. The report is unacceptable to Jukun people and therefore it is hereby rejected in its entirety,” he said.

It was in response to the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai’s remarks on the 10-member committee set up to probe former Defence Minister Maj.-Gen Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma’s allegation of military’s involvement in the pogrom going on in Taraba. Buratai had said there was no truth in the allegations, urging the people to have confidence in the soldiers posted to the area to defend them against the rampaging Fulani herdsmen.

 He wondered why the principal characters (Fulani herdsmen) accused of precipitating the crisis that gave birth to General Danjuma's allegations was never mentioned in the report.

The panel, he further stated, almost completely avoided the main subject of the matter which is the attacks and killing of farmers and innocent villagers, but was addressing porous borders and past misunderstandings between brothers in a deliberate attempt to stir up tempers and portray Jukuns as historically troublesome.

 “It is also curious that the panel deliberately refused to use a single material out of the hundreds of documented paper works, audio and video recordings of eye witnesses, community leaders and youth groups with shocking and gruesome evidences of ethnic cleansing and genocide in more than 20 villages across southern Taraba,” he said. 

Benjamin said Amnesty International’s claims and conclusions against the Nigerian Army are not far-fetched. The Nigerian army must come to terms with the enormous responsibility that rest on their shoulders to keep this country united, it must also realise that it owes Nigerian citizens a duty to be unbiased and thoroughly professional under a democratic government. It must completely shun the temptation to play to the gallery.  

According to him, Buratai’s defence has gone to confirm that it is increasingly likely that the Nigerian Army does not know where to draw the line between defending the nation and enforcing and controlling indiscipline within its ranks.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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Defence Headquarter to collaborate with WorldStage

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The Directorate of Defence Information, Defence Headquarter (DHQ), has called for a collaboration effort with WorldStage Newsonline, Nigeria’s leading online news platform for the appropriate dissemination of information about the activities of the military across the country, reports ITRealms.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the WorldStage office in Abuja, Brigadier General John Agim, Directorate, Defence Information noted that anyone who undermines the online media will do so at his own detriment.

“I want to assure you that you will have seamless information dissemination from Defence Headquarters, this is your Military, you should be proud of us,” he said, stressing that the Defence Information will continually provide information about the activities of the Nigerian Military across the country.

He observed that other developed countries that are battling insurgency have not been able to subdue it, but that Nigerian Military had subdued insurgency within a time frame.

Mr. Abiodun Folarin, Abuja Bureau Chief of WorldStage Newsonline, commended the Military for its role in securing the country, particularly on the fight against insurgency.

“We will continue to support the Nigerian Military to disseminate the right information to Nigerians. We have always supported the military in our own capacity and we are ready at all time to assist the Nigerian Military,” he assured.

 “If we continue with this relationship, your interest is also our interest, we will support the Nigerian Army,” he said.

On the emerging strategic role of online media around the world, Folarin said, “The online medium has a major role to play today in the battle on information space, and we are open to collaboration with the Nigerian Military.”

Uboshe Uboshe & Doris Minimah/GEE

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Pix: L-R:  Brigadier General John Agim, Directorate of Defence Information and Mr. Abiodun Folarin, Abuja Bureau Chief, WorldStage Newsonline during the Directorate of Defence Information courtesy visit to WorldStage office in Abuja on Tuesday, February 20, 2018.