Richard Pheelangwa assumes duty as Permanent Secretary, Defence Ministry
The newly appointed Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Richard Pheelangwa, has officially assumed duty, describing his deployment to the ministry as “an honour, a responsibility, and a call to strengthen Nigeria’s defence architecture.”
Mr. Pheelangwa took over on Wednesday at the Ministry of Defence headquarters, Ship House, Abuja, where he expressed deep gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the opportunity to serve in one of the nation’s most strategic ministries.
Addressing management and staff during the brief ceremony, the new Permanent Secretary pledged to uphold professionalism, transparency, discipline, and teamwork in guiding the ministry’s operations.
He reaffirmed his readiness to work closely with the Minister of Defence, the Minister of State for Defence, the Service Chiefs, Directors and the entire workforce to strengthen defence administration, improve resource management and ensure operational readiness across all military institutions.
“Welfare is not a luxury but a necessity,” he stressed, assuring staff that their well-being would receive adequate attention as part of efforts to enhance productivity and morale.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Sunday Attah, the Director who had been overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, assured Mr. Pheelangwa that he was joining a ministry with highly skilled and experienced personnel.
Attah expressed confidence that the management and staff would work closely with the new Permanent Secretary, learn under his leadership and provide full cooperation to help him achieve his goals for the ministry..
The assumption of duty was formalised with the signing of the handing-over and taking-over documents between the outgoing overseer and the new Permanent Secretary.
Mr. Pheelangwa joins the Ministry of Defence after being deployed from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, where he previously served as a senior administrator.
Giving the vote of thanks, Mohammed Hamza, Director of Legal Services, assured the new Permanent Secretary that he could rely on a formidable and supportive team within the ministry.
He noted that staff were ready to collaborate, cross-fertilise ideas and contribute meaningfully to ensure Mr. Pheelangwa’s success in leading the ministry’s administrative operations.
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 and other key departments
