The Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen Bashir Magashi (rtd) says that the nation’s armed forces are short on manpower and funding to adequately tackle the myriad of security challenges confronting Nigeria.
He said this was the kernel of his Ministry’s presentation at the federal cabinet meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday at the State House, Abuja.
According to the Minister, “we spoke about our shortcomings. We talked about manpower shortage, inadequate funding for the Ministry of Defence.
“We talked about all the operations we have been conducting, the successes and failures of each of the operations, right from ‘Operation Lafia Dole’ to ‘Operation Terwase’.
“The shortcomings of each of the operations were discussed and God so kind, contributions were made by members of the Council and I think in no distant time there will be a change in the conduct of our affairs in the Ministry of Defence.”
The Minister of Environment, Mohammad Abubakar, said he also presented his ministerial performance of report.
On Ogoni cleanup, he said that the Ministry was currently cleaning up 21 plus 36 sites impacted with hydrocarbon.
The minister said 775 jobs have been created in Ogoni cleanup, with more on the way; and that there is a programme to train 400 women in areas agriculture, aquaculture and poultry as way to improve the living standard of the people.
He said planting of 25 million trees in collaboration with the State governments was ongoing.
Abubakar disclosed that out of 774,000 jobs that President Buhari approved to be created, the Ministry of Environment as one of the implementing agencies, is to employ 200,000 skilled and unskilled labour, and another 2,000 through the erosion department.
He said the ministry would also create jobs in the area of waste recycling stressing that “it is no longer fashionable to just produce, use and dispose because the planet is getting too choked up with pollutants. We are very big in recycling.
“Finally, we are big in erosion control which you all know is a big problem in the South East because of the geologic nature of the area.”
He said post-Covid-19, the Ministry would be working to reduce the emissions from carbon dioxide from generators and other gaseous emissions behind climate change.
He said about 4,000 jobs will be created in this area, and the main mandate will be to keep tabs on emissions, including vehicular emissions.
The minister said the ministry was also targeting to create 32 jobs from recycling of engine oil from motorcycles and other vehicles to produce diesel, which can in turn be reused.
On the Green Bond project, which is to produce clean energy, he said that the proceeds would be used to produce solar energy for tertiary institutions; and that already, 20,000 jobs have been created.
