THREE years after the last Armed Forces Council meeting in 2014, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday directed the first committee meeting since he went ahead board as a non military personnel president.
The meeting was representative since it occurred at his main office at the Presidential, Villa, Abuja, which he had deserted since he came back from his therapeutic excursion in London, United Kingdom, following claim of rodents assuming control over the workplace.
Review that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu had clarified that as a result of the intrusion of rodents in President Buhari’s office, repair works by Julius Berger were progressing. The advancement constrained the President to utilize one of the small office in the Villa for official engagements.
Responding to online media reports that Buhari had not utilized the workplace for 81 days, the President’s Personal Assistant on New Media/Engagement Unit, Bashir Ahmed, affirmed the resumption of work at the fundamental office, through his twitter handle @BashirAhmaad.
This is notwithstanding arrival of photos of Buhari directing the Armed Forces Council meeting at the main office, showing that repair works had been finished by development firm overseeing foundation works at the Villa, Julius Berger. It was supposed that the President was staying away from the principle office to permit ‘otherworldly purging’ which some had ascribed to be the underlying driver of his sickness.
Be that as it may, an announcement issued by Col. T. U. Gusau, the Public Relations Officer to the Minister of Defense Mansur Dan-Ali, after the Armed Forces meeting expressed that the meeting considered the endorsements of the National Defense Policy 2017 (Revised); Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service Officers 2017 (Revised); and Harmonized Terms and Condition of Service Soldiers/Ratings/Airmen 2017 (Revised) among others.
Col. Gusau clarified that the confirmations were regarded vital in perspective of contemporary security challenges and to upgrade welfare, order, teach and organization of the Nigerian Armed Forces. As per the announcement:
“The Armed Forces Council was set up by CAP A20 of Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and Section 4 of the Armed Forces Act to in addition to other things be mindful under the general authourity of Mr President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for charge, teach and organization of, and for every single other issue identified with the Armed Forces.
“The last Armed Forces Council Meeting was hung on 17 July 2014 amid the last organization and there was consequently the need to gather the Armed Forces Council Meeting keeping in mind the end goal to consider matters of extraordinary worry to the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“In accordance with the over, His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR initiated the Armed Forces Council today 9 November 2017 at the State House, Abuja to consider matters of extraordinary worry to the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“A portion of the issues considered incorporate the confirmations of the National Defense Policy 2017 (Revised), Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service Officers 2017 (Revised) and Harmonized Terms and Condition of Service Soldiers/Ratings/Airmen 2017 (Revised) among others.
“Considering a few changes as far as advancement and also security challenges that have occurred in Nigeria, it is trusted that the sanction of these records will empower the Armed Forces adapt to the consistently changing contemporary security challenges. “It will likewise improve welfare, summon, teach and organization of the Armed Forces and additionally arrangement structure representing the direction of security and protection in Nigeria.
” The meeting was gone to by Dan-Ali; Chief of Defense Staff and administrative head of the Army, Navy, and Airforce. It will be reviewed that the last time the Armed Forces Council meeting held was in July 2014, under previous President Goodluck Jonathan.