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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has expressed concerns over the unwillingness of Niger Delta youths within the recruitment age of 18 and 22 years in joining the army.
He said the development has made the states in the region not filling up the recruitment quota allotted to the region. Lagbaja’s concern was delivered by the Acting Director, Supply and Transport Services, Department of Army Logistics, Army Headquarters, Abuja, Brigadier General Wiito Nzidee who a team of senior Army officers to Port Harcourt, the River State capital on Tuesday.
Lagbaja noted that some states in the South-East and South-South regions also did fill up their quotas in recent army recruitment exercises. It is for this reason Nzidee has led a sensitisation team to encourage young people in the affected areas to enlist in the 88th Regular recruitment exercise.
Explaining the mission of the team, Nzidee said: “We are here (Rivers State) to create that awareness to the state government and to the entire Rivers people that they are not utilizing their quota in the Army. Other states would utilise their quota.
“You can’t blame some of these young people, because they are not aware of it. That’s why we have come to create this awareness, imploring the best to join us as partners in progress and development of Rivers State and, of course, the entire Nigeria.”
He also denounced the notion that candidates need to have godfathers, or connections to join the army, stressing that enlistment procedures are focused on competence of candidates. “The registration is online now, the portal is open. They should go, click and register, and I can assure that anyone that is fit to be in the Army will be recruited.
“The notion that you need to know somebody before you come into the army is a wrong. I am a Brigadier General today, and a son of the soil (Rivers State) in the Nigerian Army, I did not know anybody,” Nzidee stressed
Meanwhile, the Commander 6 Division Garrison, Sector 3, Joint Task Force (South-South) Operation Delta Safe, Brigadier General Sani Ahmed, observed that Rivers State did not fill up its quota in the last recruitment exercise. He urged qualified youths in the state to take advantage of the current recruitment that which he said will give them opportunity to acquire professional career in life.
