President Buhari Commission’s DIA Estate in FCT; warn’s Security Agencies against tampering with distribution, monitoring of classified materials in 2023 elections

As the 2023 general elections draws near, President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the military and other security agencies who will be engaged with various support and assistance in the elections to ensure they stick to standard operating procedures.

“Your support and assistance for the 2023 elections, particularly with distribution and monitoring of classified materials and other logistics, must be done professionally and in accordance with Standing Operation Procedures”.

The President who spoke at the commissioning ceremony of the Defence Intelligence Agency Housing Estate at Idu- Karimo, Abuja, warned the security agencies to remain apolitical and desist from any behavior that could compromise the democratic process.

He said, “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.

“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.

On the accommodation, Buhari said, “This commissioning ceremony avails another opportunity to re-affirm my confidence in the competence, commitment and achievements of the Defence Intelligence Agency’s giant strides achieved across the nation.

“This befitting accommodation will definitely enhance productivity and coordination of activities for the staff of the Agency in view of the increasing number of personnel tasked to face new challenges and responsibilities.

“The significance of today’s commissioning can be better understood by making the connection between shelter and productivity. This underpins the administration’s vision for provision of shelter to improve performance as well as comfort for workers, families and communities.

He expressed confidence that the new premises will yield enormous shelter dividends to the Defence Intelligence Agency staff, their families and to the host locality adding, “The acquisition of this accommodation is a great leap forward, but the envisaged benefits would be aborted without diligent maintenance.

“I charge you all to ensure the sustenance of the high standard of this facility. This would help realise the value of the enormous resources committed to its acquisition. I very much appreciate the efforts of the Defence Intelligence Agency towards meeting this administration’s housing policy, which is set to provide housing for all Nigerians.

While congratulating the Chief of Defence Intelligence for the laudable achievement, the President urged the first occupants of the buildings to ensure maintenance culture so that “this huge legacy venture will serve future generations of staff of the Defence Intelligence Agency”.

In his welcome address, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Samuel Adebayo described the DIA estate in the FCT as a legacy project acquired in line with Mr. President’s directive to ensure the DIA officers and men discharge their duties in a serene and secure environment.

He 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 hardship 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 suite.

“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.

“We want to thank Mr. President most sincerely for your astute leadership and direction that has spurred us to discharge our job professionally with the zeal to do more. You charged us to spare no efforts in support of the AFN with actionable intelligence toward a secured Nigeria. Let me use this opportunity to report back that we have continued to carry out DIA’s mandates conscientiously with positive outcomes.

“We prioritized 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.

“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 re-focus 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, we have intensified specialized 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.

He pointed out that following approvals of 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.

Present at the occasion were the Minister of Defence,Maj Gen Bashir Magashi (rtd), FCT Minister, Musa Mohammad, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Faruk Yahaya, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai (rtd) and FCT Police Commissioner, CP Sadiq among others.

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