Mr. Richard Pheelangwa on Wednesday assumed duty as the new Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, describing his appointment as an honour, a responsibility, and a call to strengthen Nigeria’s defence architecture.
Speaking at the Ministry of Defence headquarters, Ship House, Abuja, Pheelangwa expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the opportunity to serve. He pledged to uphold professionalism, transparency, discipline, and teamwork in executing the ministry’s core mandates, which include defence policy formulation, military administration, logistics, procurement, and international cooperation.
“I am committed to working closely with the Honourable Minister, Minister of State for Defence, the Service Chiefs, Directors, and staff to enhance efficiency, resource management, and operational readiness across all defence institutions,” Pheelangwa said. He also assured that staff welfare would remain a priority, describing it as “not a luxury but a necessity.”
Earlier, Dr. Sunday Attah, Director overseeing the office of the Permanent Secretary, commended the ministry’s workforce and pledged their full cooperation to support Pheelangwa in achieving the ministry’s objectives. The event concluded with the signing of the handing-over and taking-over documents.
Pheelangwa was deployed from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, and the ceremony was attended by senior officials from both ministries.