…Pledges Professionalism, Transparency And Stronger Defence Architecture
By Nkechi Eze
Mr. Richard Pheelangwa has formally assumed duty 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. He expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for entrusting him with the pivotal role.
In an official signed statement, the Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations, Enderline Chukwu, disclosed that Mr. Pheelangwa made the remarks shortly after taking office on Wednesday, 26th November 2025, at the Ministry of Defence headquarters, Ship House, Abuja.
Mr. Pheelangwa pledged to uphold professionalism, transparency, discipline and teamwork in executing the ministry’s core mandates, including defence policy development, military administration, logistics, procurement and international defence cooperation. He reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with the Honourable Minister, the Minister of State for Defence, the Service Chiefs, Directors and all staff to enhance efficiency, resource management and operational readiness across defence institutions.
He emphasized that staff welfare will remain a priority, stressing that “welfare is not a luxury but a necessity” for an effective and motivated workforce.
Earlier, during his opening remarks, the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Sunday Attah, welcomed Mr. Pheelangwa and highlighted the competence and experience of ministry staff. He assured the new Permanent Secretary of the management’s full cooperation, adding that the ministry is equipped with capable hands ready to support his leadership and contribute to achieving institutional goals.
The assumption-of-duty ceremony featured the signing of the handover and takeover documents between the outgoing Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary and the new Permanent Secretary. Mr. Pheelangwa was deployed to the Ministry of Defence from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
In his vote of thanks, the Director of Legal Services, Mohammed Hamza, reassured the new Permanent Secretary that he has a formidable team to rely on, noting that staff are prepared to engage collaboratively, exchange ideas and drive impactful reforms under his leadership.
The event was attended by Directors and senior officials from the Ministry of Defence as well as counterparts from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, among other stakeholders.
