The House of Representatives on Thursday urged the Federal Government to immediately complete the long-abandoned Armed Forces Nigeria Physical and Health School and Games Village in Esa-Oke, Osun State, a project aimed at enhancing the fitness and combat readiness of Nigerian troops.
The call followed the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Oluwole Oke, representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, during plenary presided over by Speaker Rep. Abbas Tajudeen.
Hon. Oke lamented that despite budgetary allocations since 2008, the project remained largely dormant, denying both the Armed Forces and host communities the intended benefits.
He said the institution, modelled after the United States Army Physical Training School in South Carolina, was designed to provide state-of-the-art facilities to improve the physical and mental preparedness of military personnel.
“The poor and derelict state of the school has turned it into an abode for criminals, inflicting pain and losses on the people of Osun and Ekiti States. Urgent intervention is required to complete the project, as further delay will worsen the situation,” Oke warned.
The lawmaker further noted that the school was expected to create employment, promote security, and engage youth in Esa-Oke and surrounding areas, stressing that its abandonment undermines Nigeria’s security architecture.
In its resolution, the House urged the Chief of Defence Staff to deploy personnel immediately to secure the project site and commence preliminary activities. It also called on the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Finance to release funds allocated for the project in the current budget.
Additionally, the lawmakers mandated the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Budget Office of the Federation, and the National Planning Commission to ensure adequate provisions for the project in the 2026 budget.
The House also directed its Committees on Defence and Legislative Compliance to investigate reasons previous budgetary allocations were not implemented and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
In other news, a new Force Commander, Maj.-Gen. Saidu Tanko Audu, assumed command on Thursday at Headquarters Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in N’djamena, Chad.
The Chief Military Public Information Officer, MNJTF, Lt.-Col. Iweha Ikedichi, said Audu takes over from Maj.-Gen. Godwin Michael Mutkut, who has been redeployed to the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps as Corps Commander.
In his maiden address, Audu thanked the Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, for the confidence reposed in him, consequent upon his deployment.
He commended his predecessor for his leadership and pledged to consolidate existing gains and synergy among components of the Multinational Joint Task Force.
He urged all personnel to remain disciplined, focused and innovative in the conduct of operations, while calling for stronger collaboration with communities and security stakeholders to achieve lasting peace in the region.
