Pheelangwa Assumes Duty as Defence Ministry Permanent Secretary, Pledges to Strengthen Nigeria’s Defence Architecture

Emmanuel Daudu

Mr. Richard Pheelangwa has assumed office as the new Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, describing his appointment as “an honour, a responsibility, and a call to strengthen Nigeria’s defence architecture.”

Pheelangwa, who resumed duties on Wednesday at the Ministry’s headquarters, Ship House, Abuja, expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the opportunity to serve. He pledged to uphold professionalism, transparency, discipline and teamwork while driving the ministry’s core mandates, including defence policy formulation, military administration, logistics, procurement and international cooperation.

The new Permanent Secretary reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with the Minister of Defence, the Minister of State for Defence, Service Chiefs, Directors and staff of the ministry to enhance efficiency, resource management and overall operational readiness. He noted that staff welfare would remain a top priority, stressing that “welfare is not a luxury but a necessity.”

Earlier in his remarks, Dr. Sunday Attah, Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, assured Pheelangwa of the support of the ministry’s management and staff. He described the ministry as one with highly experienced personnel and expressed confidence that the new Permanent Secretary would receive full cooperation in achieving his goals.

The event featured the formal signing of the handing-over and taking-over documents between the outgoing overseeing Director and the new Permanent Secretary. Pheelangwa joins the Ministry of Defence following his redeployment from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

In a vote of thanks, Mohammed Hamza, Director of Legal Services, reaffirmed that the new Permanent Secretary has a formidable team ready to collaborate, exchange ideas and contribute to the ministry’s progress.

The ceremony was attended by Directors and senior officials of the Ministry of Defence, as well as representatives from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.