Join the military, Chief of Army Staff urges South East

From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu, has appealed to leaders, parents, guardians and elders in the South East to encourage young men and women in the region to join the military.

He said that, for some time now, the recruitment quota from the zone into the Nigerian Army has not been fully utilised.

Shaibu stated this during the passing-out parade of regular recruits at the Nigerian Army Recruits Training Depot in Amasiri-Edda, Afikpo and Edda Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State.

A total of 2,989 newly recruited soldiers passed out from the training depot.

The Amasiri-Edda military training depot was established by the federal government in November last year for the South East zone.

Speaking during the passing-out parade, Shaibu lamented the low enrolment of people from the South East into the military, saying it should not be allowed to continue.

He described military service as not just a career but an honourable endeavour of patriotism, leadership and national contribution, and implored the people of the zone to see the newly established military training depot as their own by joining the military.

“We ask for continual support as the military service is very demanding. Please stand by them, encourage them, and pray for them.

“To our host, Ndigbo, I wish to humbly request you encourage your youth to take their rightful place in the defense of our fatherland.

“For some time now, the recruitment quota from this zone has not been fully utilised. This should not continue. Military service is not just a career but an honourable endeavour of patriotism, leadership, and national contribution.

“I therefore urge community leaders, parents, guardians, and elders in the southeast zone to encourage our young men and women to see this depot as their own and step forward to serve.

“Once again, I convey our proud and profound appreciation to everyone present at this occasion. God bless the Nigerian Army,” he said.

He told the newly trained soldiers that the training they had received was intended to prepare them for the tasks ahead and serve as a foundation for their future training.

Lt Gen Shaibu opined that the security challenges confronting Nigeria and Africa have continued to evolve in complexity and intensity.

“Today, terrorism, insurgency, banditry, separatist violence, transnational organised crime, cyber threats, and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons have combined to create an unprecedented challenge to peace and stability across Africa.

“It is therefore imperative that you newly trained recruits soldiers understand from the onset that the defense of Nigeria requires sacrifice and unwavering commitment to duty.”

He cautioned the new soldiers to strictly observe the provisions of the Nigerian Army’s social media policy and warned that erring personnel would be sanctioned.

“A growing trend of indiscretion on social media has had serious consequences for airing personnel. The unauthorised posting of operational information, images of military activities, sensitive locations, as well as the dissemination of unverified and misleading content constitute a great and serious breach of external regulations.

“Let me be clear, violations of social media policy can and will result in disciplinary action, including dismissal from service where necessary.

“The implications of such misconduct are far-reaching. For the individual soldiers, it represents a loss of career, honour, and livelihood. For the Army, it undermines discipline, operational security, morale, and institutional credibility.

“For the nation, it represents a waste of substantial public investment in your training. You must therefore exercise the highest level of restraint, maturity, and responsibility as you navigate the social media space,” he stated.

Governor Francis Nwifuru, in his speech, assured the leadership of the Nigerian Army that Ebonyi State would continue to remain a dependable and committed partner.

“We shall continue to provide a peaceful and conducive environment for training and military operations while promoting harmonious coexistence between the military and our communities.

“The donation of land was only the beginning of a long-term partnership founded on mutual respect and our shared aspiration for a safer Ebonyi State and a stronger Nigeria.

“When the idea of establishing this depot on Ebonyi soil was conceived, we wholeheartedly embraced it because we recognised its strategic importance to our nation and its immense benefits to our people,” he said.