Taoreed Lagbaja, a major general who serves as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), claims that the Nigerian Army will end pipeline and oil theft in the Niger-Delta region of the nation under his leadership.
During an interactive session with media executives on Wednesday in Ibadan as part of events commemorating the 2023 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL), Mr. Lagbaja provided this guarantee.
According to the current government’s mission, he said, “the army will focus on the situation in the Niger-Delta region, just as it will not also lose focus on what is happening in other parts of the country.”
The majority of the nation’s oil and gas infrastructure is located in the south-south region, according to Mr. Lagbaja, who also noted that the industry accounts for 90% of Nigeria’s earnings.
He voiced concern about how oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the Niger-Delta region had impacted the country’s ability to generate money and said that immediate action is needed to stop the problem.
“The president claimed that all of these are causing the nation to bleed. The funds are not merely available to carry out our previous activities.
“This resulted in the elimination of the oil subsidy and the floating exchange rate, and other changes were also implemented.
Under my leadership, the Nigerian Army will put a stop to pipeline and oil theft in the Niger Delta, in accordance with the President’s “Renewed Hope” program, Mr. Lagbaja declared.
The COAS promised to continue to pay attention to banditry in the North West.
I am aware that many people wanted to return to their farms and resume their normal lives as law-abiding Nigerians.
“We’ll seek to stop the kidnapping and banditry that are practiced openly in some places.
“Therefore, we will solidify the stability we have established in the North-East region there in the North-West.
“We want a situation where employees can wake up at two in the morning and feel confident doing their legal work.
Truck owners and drivers used to deliver fish from Baga to Onisha and depart Baga by 2 a.m. without worrying about safety.
Therefore, he declared, “We want to go back to that time when people lived happily in Plateau, sections of Southern Kaduna, and other places where we are currently facing security difficulties.
The Nigerian Army was frequently enlisted to help Nigeria with its varied security issues, the COAS added, noting that this was encouraging.
“This is because Nigerians have considered the Army to be dependable and up to par.
We are the people’s army, thus we are not complaining about the frequent calls.
The 160th Anniversary of the Nigerian Army is being celebrated at the same time as the 2023 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL), according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Additionally, Mr. Lagbaja stated that the Nigerian Army relies on cutting-edge technology to combat insurgency, terrorism, banditry, and other crimes.
“To fight the battle of 2023, we no longer rely on technology from the 1970s or 1980s.
The Nigerian Army has both purchased and produced its own internal contemporary equipment.
“We have the necessary tools to make sure that the troops are prepared to carry out their duties and address the issues that Nigeria will face in 2023.
“If you visit our command in Kaduna, you will be able to see what the mechanical engineers are working on since we have instructed Research and Development to produce some of the equipment we used to acquire from overseas.
They are making cars, and we might export some of them to our neighbors shortly.
We engage in design approach activities including initial and ongoing training.
When our forces complete their first training at the Defence Academy Training School and Nigerian Arny School in Zaria, “we work with foreign agencies to further train our troops,” he said.
Mr. Lagbaja claimed that Faruk Yahaya, the most recent Chief of Army Staff, has made significant contributions to infrastructure, healthcare, and training, among other things.
“I won’t fall short of those accomplishments; instead, I’ll raise the bar.
“I will work very hard to raise the bar for training, leadership development, and the welfare of both living and deceased families in the Nigerian Army.”
To enable the military to provide security, Mr. Lagbaja promised to improve their welfare.
In keeping with the primary mission of the Nigerian Army, “We shall provide an enabling environment for Nigerians. We’ll cooperate with the host communities as well.
He claimed that Nigeria’s security situation was progressively becoming better.
“Though not as bad as it was from 2014 to 2017, there are still some security issues in various areas of the nation.
The security issues are being fought by the Nigerian military. We have made significant progress in eliminating those criminal elements.
He claimed that former President Muhammadu Buhari’s significant investment in the purchase of cutting-edge equipment was what made the country’s present better security position possible.
According to Mr. Lagbaja, the purchase of military equipment, all-purpose machines, and other ammunition significantly helped to stabilize the security situation in the country’s north and east.
He promised that the Nigerian Army will put in every effort to live up to Nigerians’ expectations.
He proclaimed, “Our aim is to bring peace and stability to every corner of the nation.”
(NAN)
