Gov lobbies Army for 83 Division headquarters in Delta

From Joe Obukata Ogbodu, Warri

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has asked the Chief of Army Staff to recommend the state to President Bola Tinubu as headquarters of the newly created 83 Division of the Nigerian Army, offering land, temporary facilities and financial support for its take-off.

The governor said Delta’s central location between Edo and Bayelsa states, coupled with its concentration of critical oil and gas installations, airports and seaports, made it strategically suited to host the Division Headquarters.

Oborevwori made the appeal when he received a Nigerian Army Headquarters committee on a stakeholders’ consultative visit to the state over the realignment of Areas of Responsibility following the creation of 83 Division.

The committee was led by the Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation, Major-General Thompson Bobby Ugiagbe.

The governor argued that locating the Division Headquarters in Delta would shorten response time to security threats and strengthen the protection of critical national assets across Delta, Edo and Bayelsa, which would fall under the Division’s Area of Responsibility.

“Delta State is more central. Somebody coming from Edo will come through Delta, while somebody coming from Bayelsa to Edo will also pass through Delta. If the headquarters is located here, everybody can connect to the centre,” he said.

Oborevwori said Delta’s strategic importance went beyond geography, noting that the state accounts for a significant proportion of Nigeria’s oil and gas production and hosts infrastructure critical to the national economy.

“We have three airports in Asaba, Osubi and Escravos and we also have seaports in Warri, Burutu, Sapele and Koko. These are critical assets that require security,” he said.

He urged the committee to make a favourable recommendation to the Chief of Army Staff and ultimately the President, assuring the Army that Delta was prepared to contribute materially to the establishment of the Division Headquarters.

“This is not a passive appeal for the constitution of the division. It is a request for partnership from a state that understands what is at stake,” Oborevwori said.

According to him, the state government is prepared to provide land, temporary facilities and financial support to facilitate the take-off of the new formations and units.

He recalled that his administration had provided land and infrastructure support for military formations already established in the state and pledged continued cooperation with the Nigerian Army.

Oborevwori also noted that Delta had produced several senior military officers, including retired four-star generals, saying locating the headquarters in the state would be a fitting recognition of its contribution to the Armed Forces.

Earlier, Ugiagbe said the creation of 83 Division followed President Tinubu’s approval for the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions.

He said 83 Division would have responsibility for Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states, with additional formations and units being established to strengthen security coverage and eliminate gaps in the Army’s deployment.

According to him, Delta would retain 63 Brigade Headquarters in Asaba, 3 Battalion in Warri, 90 Amphibious Battalion and 181 Amphibious Battalion.

The state would also get additional units, including 246 Recce Battalion, already established in Oleh, as well as a Field Artillery Regiment and an Air Defence Regiment.

Ugiagbe said the additional units reflected Delta’s strategic importance and the need to expand the Army’s operational footprint across the state.

He said the Field Artillery Regiment was proposed for a location close to 63 Brigade Headquarters, while the Air Defence Regiment was being considered for Osubi because of its proximity to the airport and other critical infrastructure.

“The Air Defence Regiment provides a large coverage for critical assets like airports, refineries and other critical national infrastructure,” he said.

Ugiagbe sought the state government’s support in providing temporary accommodation and land to enable the new units to commence operations pending the development of permanent infrastructure.

He said the Army would work with relevant state agencies, including mapping and geographical information authorities, to identify, survey and document suitable land for the new locations.

According to him, the realignment of formations and units was intended to improve geographical coverage, reduce response time and strengthen the Army’s capacity to respond to security threats across 83 Division’s Area of Responsibility.