From Molly Kilete, Abuja
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari has charged personnel of the security agencies not to comprise the democratic process by their conduct.
He said they would be engaged with various support and assistance in the elections, particularly with the distribution and monitoring of classified materials and other logistics.
He has therefore urged them to be professional and remain apolitical and desist from behaviour that could bring disrepute to their agencies and the country.
The president gave the charge at the commissioning of the Defence Intelligence Agency(DIA), staff quarters in Abuja.
The president while noting that the Agency’s investment in staff accommodation complements the vision of his administration to achieving improved national security, said the security agencies have a great role to ensure crisis-free and credible elections.
“Let me reiterate, as we approach our general election in 2023, security agencies would be engaged with various support and assistance in the elections, particularly with distribution and monitoring of classified materials and other logistics,” he said.
“These must be done professionally and in accordance with Standing Operation Procedures. I, therefore, urge you to remain apolitical and desist from behaviour that could bring disrepute to the Agency and our country by compromising the democratic process.”
President Buhari, who commended the DIA, for their contributions to the security of the country, said the accommodation would no doubt enhance productivity and coordination of activities for the staff of the agency in view of the increasing numbers of personnel facing new challenges and responsibilities.
“The significance of today’s occasion can be better understood by making the connection between shelter and productivity. This underpins the administration’s vision for the provision of shelter to improve performance as well as comfort for workers, families and communities,” he said.
“This commissioning ceremony further avails another opportunity to reaffirm my confidence in the competence, commitment and achievements of the Defence Intelligence Agency’s giant strides achieved across the nation.
“I am confident that these new premises will yield enormous shelter dividends to the Defence Intelligence Agency staff, their families and to the host locality. The acquisition of this accommodation is a great leap forward, but the envisaged benefits would be aborted without diligent maintenance.”
Earlier in his address, the Chief of Defense Intelligence(CDI), Major General Samuel Adebayo, said the
commissioning of the staff quarters was in line with president Buhari’s directive to ensure the DIA officers and men discharge their duties in a serene and secure environment.
Adebayo, while noting that the DIA, has continued to abide by the presidential mandate to secure Nigeria for Nigerians and other foreigners residing in the country, said, the agency has continued to achieve tremendous results in this regard.
“We prioritised technical and communication aspects of intelligence in support of the Armed Forces operations and activities within and outside the country. We have also successfully dominated the threat environment with a combination of special intelligence operations and non-kinetic activities,” he said.
According to him, “These operations have recorded degrees of success that have continued to deny the enemies of state cohesion and capabilities to withstand the fighting forces. As we continue to review our activities in the coming Year 2023, the Agency intends to refocus its tactical and technical intelligence drive on all the frontiers to sustain the gains.
“So far, the result across all theatres has been significantly rewarding. On human capacity development, Your Excellency, we have intensified specialised training of staff both locally and abroad in different fields of intelligence needs, while the Defence Intelligence College has reviewed its curriculum to accommodate new developments in the intelligence field. The need to create a more conducive environment for staff at the defence sections and here in Nigeria has been on the front burner. Consequently, the DIA HQ Office Complex is currently being completed to create room for better working conditions for the staff. The extension of the building was flagged off by the Honourable Minister of Defence during the 2022 DIA Annual Conference in November 2022.”
“Your Excellency has approved our requests for technical intelligence and advanced technological acquisitions. Most of the newly procured technical equipment have been deployed and helping to address the security challenges across the country. Few others are at different stages of acquisition and installation. These equipment have contributed immensely to degrading the capabilities of the threat groups in the North East, North West, North Central and South East geopolitical zones. We intend to intensify efforts to achieve Mr President’s promise of a more secure Nigeria before the end of this administration.”
Continuing, the CDI said: “When I assumed office in February 2021, I identified 3 critical areas of consideration for a professional workforce. These include technical intelligence capabilities, human capacity development and staff welfare. Some remarkable efforts have been made in the past by my predecessors to provide decent accommodation for different categories of staff but much more is needed. Though some staff of the Agency live outside the official quarters for special purposes, those that require official quarters are currently facing some hardships that could impair their working outputs.
“The DIA staff quarters here in Idu Karimo was consequently acquired to ameliorate the accommodation challenges faced by the Agency. It contains 16 units of 3-bedroom terrace buildings with boys’ quarters and 48 units of 3-bedroom flats all in suites. One of the blocks of 6 units of flats and 2 units of terrace buildings has been furnished as proto-types while the rest would be furnished during the course of the Year 2023 Budget implementation cycle.”