Bashir Magashi, minister of defence, says indequate manpower
and funding are shortcomings affecting the productivity of the armed forces.
Magashi, who spoke with journalists, said this was part of
the ministry’s presentation at the virtual federal executive council meeting
which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.
“We spoke about our shortcomings. We talked about manpower
shortage, inadequate funding for the ministry of defence,” he said.
“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 Tawase.
“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.”
Speaking on the Ogoni clean-up, Mohammad Abubakar, the
minister of environment, said the ministry is currently cleaning up 36 sites
impacted with hydrocarbon in order to rid it of wastes.
Abubakar said about 775 jobs have been created in Ogoni,
with more on the way.
He said there is a programme to train 400 women in areas of
agriculture, aquaculture and poultry as a way to improve the living standard of
the people.
According to him, the ministry also creates jobs in the area
of waste recycling, that is, to reduce, reuse, repair and recover waste.
“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 on recycling,” Abubakar said.
“Finally, we are big on erosion control which you all know
is a big problem in the south-east. As you know, south-east is more prone to
erosion because of the geologic nature of the area.”
He said post-COVID-19, the ministry is working to reduce the
emission from generators and other gaseous emissions behind climate change.
He noted that about 4,000 jobs will be created in this area
and their main mandate will be to keep a tab on emissions, including those from
vehicles.
Abubakar added that the ministry is also working towards the
creation of 32 jobs from the 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 the proceeds will be used to produce solar energy for tertiary
institutions.
and the military is donating "fully equipped isolation centers* to states... this is confusing!
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