Buhari inaugurates Armed Forces Council

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday inaugurated the Armed Forces Council at the presidential villa, Abuja.

The ceremony took place inside the conference room adjacent to the president’s main office, the first time the office would be hosting a meeting since he returned from his medical leave in the United Kingdom.

The Presidency had said that the office had been infested by rodents and would need renovation, causing President Buhari to operate from a temporary office in the villa.

The council inaugurated has the responsibility to consider matters of great concern to the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Armed Forces Council was established by CAP A20 of Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and Section 4 of the Armed Forces Act to among other things be responsible under the general authourity of Mr President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for command, discipline and administration of, and for all other matters related to the Armed Forces.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, the last meeting of the Council was held on 17 July 2014 during the last administration “and there was therefore the need to convene the Armed Forces Council Meeting in order to consider matters of great concern to the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Some of the matters considered at the meeting include the ratifications of the National Defence Policy 2017 (Revised), Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service Officers 2017 Revised and Harmonized Terms and Condition of Service Soldiers/Ratings/Airmen 2017 (Revised) amongst others.

The statement said considering several transformations in terms of development as well as security challenges that have taken place in Nigeria, it is believed that the ratification of these documents will enable the Armed Forces cope with the ever changing contemporary security challenges.

It said it will also help to enhance welfare, command, discipline and administration of the Armed Forces as well as policy framework governing the conduct of security and defence in Nigeria.