Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, on Monday inaugurated a “Defence and Security Think-tank” team approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, to “proactively and continuously examine security situation in the country”.According to the minister, the team is to give necessary advice based on its findings.Dan-Ali said the think-tank was also empowered to co-opt any person deemed necessary to contribute positively to its assignment.“You are further expected to constantly intimate the Ministry of Defence of your findings and recommendations on quarterly basis,” he said.The minister noted that the nation was faced with different security challenges which had claimed a lot of lives and property.“Addressing these challenges require analysing the causes of threats as well as critical evaluation of the performance of the security agencies in handling emerging scenarios.“It also requires the provision of thought-out and far reaching advice by security experts and experienced individuals.“The effective implementation of a comprehensive approach to these challenges require the contribution of all security agencies and other stakeholders based on shared sense of responsibility, openness and determination, taking into account their respective strengths, mandates and roles as well as decision-making autonomy,” Dan-Ali said.The terms of reference of the committee are to constantly undertake strategic threats and vulnerability analysis, and evaluate strategic defence and security requirements of the nation.It is also to access the degree of success and failure of measures taken to address threats, and exploit avenues to establish strategic partnership and collaboration with foreign countries, organisations and individuals that would benefit the country.The Chairman of the committee, Gen. Abdulmalik Jibril, promised that the team would live up to expectations.

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