Army Calls For More N’Delta Youths Involvement In National Security 

The Nigeria Army has called on stakeholders and leaders of Rivers and other South-South states to encourage their youths to join the Army.

Acting Director Supply and Transport Services, Army Headquarters, Department of Army Logistics (DOAL), Brigadier General Wiito Nzidee, made the call when he led a sensitization team on the ongoing Nigerian Army 88 regular intake for trades/non-tradesmen and women, to Rivers State yesterday, to sensitise the people on the need to encourage their youths to join the military.

Brig. Gen. Nzidee while addressing journalists during a press conference titled army headquarters sensitization and advertisement for 88 regular recruit at the Garrison Command of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, disclosed that Rivers State is leading other states in the South-South region with the lowest representation in recent recruitments into the Army.

Nzidee lamented that Rivers State is not utilizing its quota when it comes to recruitment into the Army.

He said the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, worried by the low representation of Rivers indigenes in the army, sent him and his team to visit the state and sensitize the indigenes, encourage the youths to take advantage of the ongoing recruitment to join the military.

He words: “The Chief of Army Staff, Lieut. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja in his wisdom has sent us to carry this message to the nooks and crannies of not just the Niger Delta but of course, Rivers State that you are not utilizing your quota in the Nigerian Army.

“It is the responsibility of every state in Nigeria to contribute to national security. If Rivers State does not utilize its quota the Nigerian Army, who helps the state to contribute to national security? We have to make our contributions by encouraging our youths to join the Army. You must not allow other states make up your quota, so you don’t cry of marginalisation tomorrow.

“I am here again as a son of the soil that I am to emphasise on the need why our young sons and daughters need to join the army.

“The chief of army staff has carefully selected some Niger Delta officers and has asked us to use the newsmen in the Niger Delta to tell the youths of Niger Delta that they are not filling up their quota in the Nigerian army I want to tell you all here today that the Nigerian army is not cheating on anybody we are the ones cheating on ourselves because we are not filling up our quota, I was here the last time with the same message and the truth is that if we have met our expectations I am not sure I will be here again with my team for another sensitization meeting, and this thing we are complaining about is more prominent in the Niger Delta and in the south east and this has raised the question that why do we need to always come here all the time”.

The Army General who assured that joining the military comes with lots benefits as the soldiers are well taken care of in the area of academics, human capacity building/development and medical, among others, also noted that enlisting the young ones into the army will reduce the high rate of unemployment and crime in the state, which the youths are is mostly involved.

Also speaking, the Commander, 6 Division Garrison Command, Brigadier General Sani Ahmed, explained the mandate of Brig. Gen. Nzidee and what he has in stock for the youths of Niger Delta.

“every year the Nigerian army recruits, enlisting young men and women into the service, the sensitization programme is being conducted by the army headquarters across the thirty six states across the federation including the federal capital Territory, this is to bring to the door steps of our eligible young men and women and sensitize them on the possible career in the service, the prospects and what the army have for them if they so desire to give their best to this noble profession.

” And to that regards the seasoned senior officers are tasked to do that, the senior officers are always sent to the regions to sensitize young men and women, this year we are privilege to have with us brigadier general, Wiito Nzidee in the space of Niger Delta to sensitize the Nigerian man and women about career prospects in the Nigerian army. 

“What better way to start this sensitization than addressing the people that have the ears of the public which is the news men that is why we are gathered here today to have some words directly from the team leader to tell the whole people of Rivers state the aim of his mission here and thereafter he will tour some local government communities to meet and sensitize their young men and women on military career in the Nigerian army”.

In a separate visit to the office of the secretary to the Rivers state government by the Nigerian army sensitization team, The SSG Tammy danagogo while welcoming the team pledge to work in collaboration with Army to drive the message down to the grassroot.

Although the SSG who complained that the youths of Niger Delta are often overlooked when it comes to admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy pleaded the Brig. Gen. Nzidee and his men to do more advocacy and meetings whenever NDA forms are out.

“I want to commend the team and I want to tell you that we have been doing alot to see that our people key into this army employment and skills development opportunities, in my office we have a desk officer that is assigned that opportunity meaning each time development like this are coming up his job is to make sure they follow up and make sure that the local government chairmen council are truly informed, even as at now we have send messages across to the local government council just so they can also sensitize their People.

 “If not for the quick nature of your visit we would have met together with the local government chairmen because they are the ones at the grass root and would work directly with their people, we notify traditional rulers, the mass media we run jingles and adverts from time to time.

” But one of our people’s complain is particularly about the Nigeria defence Academy recruitment, we have brilliant young men and women who are fit whose actual desire was the NDA but they always cry that they are always being overlooked, the truth is we don’t always get this kind of advocacy visit when it comes to NDA, please we plead you also do this same sensitization when it comes to NDA admissions so that our people will have this complete sense of belongings”.

Army Calls For More N’Delta Youths Involvement In National Security  is first published on The Whistler Newspaper