Army using schools, clinics, other intervention projects to tackle insecurity — COAS

The Nigerian Army has said close to 300 special intervention projects it has undertaken across the six geo-political zones are significantly contributing to its non-kinetic efforts at containing the multi-faceted security challenges facing the country.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, stated this on Wednesday in Uyo Akwa Ibom State while inaugurating 2 classroom blocks at Lutheran Primary School, Nung Udoe, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of the State.

The projects executed by Maj-gen Solomon Udounwa (retd.), who hailed from the area were part of COAS special intervention projects in honour of retired Army generals in the country.

Lagbaja said, “So far, the Nigerian Army has undertaken close to 300 intervention projects across the six geo-political zones of the country.

“This has significantly contributed to our non-kinetic efforts at containing the multi-faceted security challenges facing our nation. I’m glad to note that our experiences have been positive and encouraging.”

While thanking President Bola Tinubu for his continued strategic guidance and invaluable support to the Nigerian Army, Lagbaja urged the people of Akwa Ibom State to continue to provide timely and useful information to the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to tackle crime and criminality in the country.

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who joined the occasion, noted that the projects represent a milestone in the ongoing efforts to ensure civil-military relations and foster community development in the country.

Musa who called on all Nigerians to unite in order to defeat the enemies of the country, noted that it is only when all Nigerians unite against the common enemies that the country would be able to shame her enemies

He said, “I want to seize this opportunity to call on all of us that Nigeria is going through trying times and that we must all unite together as one to defeat the enemies of the state.

“There are those who do not wish us well, we must shame them and the only way we can achieve this is when we work together as one people as one nation.”

In his remarks, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, said that the commissioning of the rehabilitated classroom blocks was in line with the compassionate programmes of his administration

Eno, who was represented by the commissioner of Internal Security and Waterways, Maj-gen Okoko Essien (retd), said the programmes of the government had witnessed the construction of model primary schools, health centres and homes for the less privileged in society.