Defense Ministry Permanent Secretary Ibrahim Kana said the federal government had finalized plans to create a new Defense Ministry, with a view to repositioning the sector.
Kana gave the hint when he made a familiarization visit to Army Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari came with a mandate to implement the approved reform of the ministry and the armed forces, to improve efficiency.
Kana added that when it was created, the new Ministry of Defense would see the various services operating under the same roof in a “Pentagon-like” style, where both military and civilian personnel would work together.
He said that his task was to ensure the full implementation of the reform of the armed forces and the ministry.
He added that the new reform would put an end to the existing dichotomy between the services and the ministry.
Kana said it would also facilitate the repositioning of military-owned health and education facilities for optimal performance.
He promised to work with the army chief to develop ways to take the Nigerian military to greater heights.
“With my appointment as permanent secretary of this ministry, I was given the specific task of making sure that I facilitate the work of the armed forces.
“They also gave me the task of implementing the reforms, which had been carried out and approved by the President.
“The minister has decided to invite the main stakeholders to a meeting where we will discuss the implementation strategy of the reform documents, to see how we can start the implementation.
“One of the important aspects of the reform that I have to expose here is the creation of a new Ministry of Defense that will be like the Pentagon in the United States.
“If you go into the Pentagon, you will see a mix of military and civilians working together and that will be the nature of our new Ministry of Defense,” he said.
In response, Army Chief of Staff Faruk Yahaya commended the permanent secretary for his efforts so far and pledged to ensure a good and harmonious working relationship with the ministry moving forward.
Mr. Yahaya said that education and health issues were important to the military, adding that the army was committed to upgrading existing facilities to better standards.
He said the army had been doing a lot to ensure its schools remained schools of choice, adding that the army stood ready to collaborate with the ministry to address the challenges.
According to him, health is very important for members of the armed forces because military personnel must be in good physical and mental shape to be able to perform assigned tasks.
“We are already doing a lot in our medical facilities directly from our hospitals, although we are ready to work to improve them and make them world class.
“We are always willing to communicate with you about legal issues with a view to strengthening them, where they exist.
“We are committed to meeting security challenges head-on and our successes starting from the Northeast are commendable,” he said.
COAS assured the permanent secretary of the Nigerian military’s determination to address all of the country’s security challenges, saying the military would not be deterred.
He called on all Nigerians to support the efforts of the military by providing them with the relevant information needed to address the prevailing security situation.
The Nigerian News Agency (NAN) reports that Mr. Kana, who was recently appointed as permanent secretary, had previously visited Defense Headquarters, where he interacted with Defense Chief of Staff Lucky Irabor and top staff officers.
He also visited the Naval and Air Force Headquarters for a similar purpose.
(YAYA)