Soldiers warned against evading transport fare in Lagos

 Philip Nwosu

Soldiers of the Nigerian Army Engineers Corps have been warned against using public transports and not paying fare, especially as the corps has provided two shuttle buses to convey soldiers from the corps headquarters to Ojo and Ikeja cantonments.

The outgoing Commander of the Corps Major General John Malu who gave the warning said the Corps had worked towards easing the problem of transportation for soldiers working at its headquarters on the Island.

General Malu spoke while handing over to a new Commander, Major General Kamil Kadiri who was appointed corps commander of the Nigerian Army Engineering corps recently in minor shake up. 

In that shake up, General Malu was moved to Defence Headquarters as a principal staff officer. General Malu told the new corps commander to deal with soldiers who board commercial buses and refuses to pay, thereby causing troubling that could smear the image of the force.

He warned that soldiers who go to town to cause trouble over their inability to pay commercial bus fare, if caught will be charged before a military court.

General Malu advised the new commander to ensure rotation of troops of the unit currently deployed to the North East adding that at the moment, four units of the corps are presently fighting in the North east.

General Malu charged his predecessor to work towards repositioning the force, especially as he had worked, adding that a lot effort was put in place to ensure troops welfare.

On his part, the incoming Corps Commander, Major General Kamil Kadiri, who commended his predecessor for the good works, promised to consolidate the progress recorded, taking the command to greater heights.

Senior officers of the command who were on the ground to witness the handover ceremony, include; General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Major General Godwin Umelo; Chief of Staff, Nigerian Army Corps of Engineers, Brigadier General Joseph Omali; Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information, Colonel Mustapha Anka, and members of the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA).