Obaseki, Buratai chart new logistics support model for Army, recommend PPP to meet contemporary needs

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, have called for the adoption of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in logistics support for the Nigerian Army to enable it tackle the nation’s security challenge.

Obaseki maintained that for the nation’s fight against terrorism and other crimes to succeed, all hands must be on deck to support the Nigerian Army and related security agencies.

The governor, who spoke through the Head of Service of the state, Mrs. Gladys Idahor, at the opening ceremony of the 20th Combat Service Support Training Week held at the Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport in Benin City, emphasised that government alone cannot provide all the logistics need of the Nigerian Army especially in the face of new security challenges.

“The academia and organised private sector need to share ideas on ways of meeting the contemporary needs of the Nigerian Army” Obaseki said.

He noted that the theme of the training: “Enhancing Combat Service Support capability through Public Private Partnership to meet Nigerian Army’s Contemporary Challenge” is apt, and commended the security outfit for its planned medical outreach to people in selected communities in the state.

He added that regular training of security officials is important in the face of new threats to national security and said Edo State’s current status as the most peaceful state in the country, is due in part, to the partnership with the Nigerian Army.

The Chief of Army Staff said tackling contemporary security challenges in the country requires a more robust logistics plan, noting that to a large extent, logistics determine the capability of any army to perform its duties.

Lt. Gen. Buratai who was represented by Major General Ademoh Salihu, explained that the need for a more efficient and effective logistics model for the Nigerian Army through public private partnership has become expedient.

He said the Army’s continued dependence on importation of military hard wares has had adverse effect on their operations especially in the fight against insurgency in the North East region.

He commended the combat service support corps for their relentless service in the fight against insurgency in the country and urged them to leverage on the three days training opportunity to fashion out ways to enhance their capacity in the provision of logistics to nip the security challenges facing the country in the bud.