News

Ndatsu’s Committee On Armed Forces Reform Submits Over 250 Page Report

Published

4 years ago

April 28, 2021

The Minister of Defence Maj Gen Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd) has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government is leveraging option of reform of the National Defence architecture to end insecurity in the Country.

General Magashi stated this at the formal presentation of the report of the Committee to facilitate the reform of the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Nigeria, held at the National Defence College, Abuja.

He said the reform which is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s intent to emplace a robust, repositioned and result- oriented military sector for improved performance in the discharge of constitional mandate is expedient especially now that the nation is combating internal security challenges.

While appreciating what he described as the ground breaking patriotic efforts of the Committee, the Defence Minister assured that the recomendations made in the report by the Committee will be painstakingly perused with a view to implementing them courageously for the betterment of all Nigerians.

AVM Ndatsu

The Committee Chairman, retired Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Ndatsu Umaru said the over two hundred and fifty- page report contains over seventy recomendations as well as drawn up strategies to facilitate their implimentation.

AVM Umaru identified key issues in the recommendations relating to policies on recruitment,promotion, retirement, funding and managing Military Operations as well as the need to accord priority attention to Research and Development (R & D) and restructuring of Defence Industrial Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).

He therefore appealed to the Minister of Defence Maj Gen Magashi to hasten the implimentation of the recommendations and to constitute high level advisory team for the reform of the Ministry of Defence based on the current Defence Policy.

In their separate remarks the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Leo Irabor lauded the patriotic zeal of the convener of the Committee, Minister of Defence for taking the bull by the horns for the reform and gave kudos to the Committee for turning in the report withing the stipulated time frame.

In a statement by Muhammad Abdulkadir said the 21- man committee was inaugurated by the Minister of Defence in February this year at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters, Abuja with ten- point term of reference contained in the convening order.

News

Stampede at Catholic Church in Maitama Claims Ten Lives During Food Distribution

Published

22 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Nigerian Tracker

Ten people have been confirmed dead in a stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, on Saturday, 21st December 2024, during the distribution of food items to vulnerable and elderly individuals.

The unfortunate incident, which occurred around 6:30 am, resulted in the loss of ten lives, including four children, and left eight others injured with varying degrees of severity. Four of the injured have been treated and discharged, while the remaining victims are still receiving medical attention.

The FCT Police Command, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the tragedy, extended condolences to the families of the deceased, and wished the injured a swift recovery.

News

Port-Harcourt Refinery Fully Operational- Says NNPC

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2024

Nigerian Tracker

The attention of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has been drawn to reports in a section of the media alleging that the Old Port Harcourt Refinery which was re-streamed two months ago has been shut down.

We wish to clarify that such reports are totally false as the refinery is fully operational as verified a few days ago by former Group Managing Directors of NNPC.

Preparation for the day’s loading operation is currently ongoing.

Members of the public are advised to discountenance such reports as they are the figments of the imagination of those who want to create artificial scarcity and rip-off Nigerians.

News

Port Harcourt Refinery Halts Production Less Than a Month After Resumption

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2024

Nigerian Tracker

Less than a month after the porthacourt appeared to have resumed production, the facility has stopped working.

It was gathered that the lifting of petrol actually stopped last Friday, December 13, as the 18-arm loading bay of the new Port Harcourt refinery was empty.

While about 18 trucks littered the stretch of the busy road leading to the refinery itself, nine trucks were spotted inside the parking yard, while the loading bay was empty.

Journalists who visited the refinery on Thursday, December 19, 2024, observed that the lifting of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) had stopped completely.

The depot, which is usually a beehive of activities where tankers scramble for space at the parking yard, was a shadow of itself with literally no vehicular or human activity relating to operations.

This was after $1.5bn was approved in March 2021 and spent on the rehabilitation of the facility.

The inauguration of the 60,000 barrel per day production capacity plant by the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, was met with celebration and fanfare.

During the re-opening of the facility, there was lifting of petrol to the excitement of the cheering crowd.

However, less than 10 trucks of petrol were lifted that day as against widespread claims that about 200 trucks carried petrol out of the bay.