No fewer than 200 workers of the Defence Industries Company of Nigeria (DICON) may soon lose their jobs as the arms manufacturing concern reels under non-patronage by the military authorities.

Contrary to the directive of President Goodluck Jonathan that the armed forces should buy their equipment from the firm, the military authorities have allegedly continued to patronise foreign vendors.

The latest of such acts by the armed forces is the purchase of 10,000 bulletproof vests and 10,000 bullet-proof helmets from foreign vendors for use by troops of the Special Task Force enforcing the state of emergency and other security operations in crisis-ridden states.

Leadership Sunday learnt that the management of DICON/MARON ballistics factory in Kaduna, which has a huge inventory of the equipment imported by the military, may shut down operations and send the workers home.

At the recent Nigerian Army Transformation and Innovation seminar 2013 at the Command Officers’ Mess, Abuja, the chief of army staff, Lt-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, disclosed that he would be taking delivery of 10,000 units of bulletproof vests and 10,000 protective bulletproof helmets from the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for troops taking part in various operations in the country.

One of the three companies that submitted bids for the contracts was an oil firm. DICON commenced the production of the bulletproof vests and helmets in July last year.

During the commissioning of DICON on July 2, 2012, President Jonathan expressed satisfaction with the quality of the equipment he saw and ordered the all the services and the Nigeria Police to patronise DICON.

President Jonathan said apart from the huge foreign investment injected in the factory by MAROM DOLPHIN, some Nigerians had been employed and, soon, expertise in the manufacturing of military equipment would pass on to Nigeria while huge foreign exchange would be saved for the country.

MARON DOLPHIN has 65 per cent shares in the joint venture partnership while the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force combined have 35 per cent equity in the factory.

Aside the impact of technology, the cost of producing the military hardware, according to investigation, showed that the procurement of 6, 000 bulletproof vests, night vision and other military equipment needed by Nigerian troops from DICON MARON would cost Nigeria N732million but if the same number was got from abroad, it would cost about N1billion.

Checks showed that, recently, 2,000 bulletproof vests were procured from foreign manufacturers for the Nigerian Navy at a cost of N395million by the defence ministry while it would have cost government N244 million to procure the equipment from DICON MARON.

Documents made available to a correspondent showed that the Ministry of Defence in a memo No. MOD/JSD/PARA/153 dated 28th November, 2012, and signed by E.B. Olowosejeje for the minister of defence, was receiving proposals from three companies including an oil company, among others, for the supply of military equipment, after which some of them were given the contracts to import bulletproof vests from abroad.

While the unit price of bulletproof jacket produced by DICON which meets international standard costs $700 (N122,000), the military procured the equipment for between N165, 000 and N197,000 per unit.


http://www.african-defense.com/?p=2172

During the commissioning of
DICON on July 2, 2012,
President Jonathan expressed
satisfaction with the quality of
the equipment he saw and
ordered the all the services
and the Nigeria Police to
patronise DICON.

were the bombs and machine guns tested on Mr President for him to know the quality of the products?

Hope it isn't ogbunigwe the company is producing o, the ogbunigwe that couldn't kill a rat!