Army engineering school deplores erosion of link bridge to Benue capital

COMMANDANT of the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering (NASME) Makurdi, Major General Bamidele O. Ogunkale has raised the alarm over the debilitating effects of gulley erosion on the bridge and other portions of the road linking the barrack with Makurdi, the Benue state capital.

Major General Ogunkale, who raised the alarm while chatting with the leadership of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists’ Benue state Council, appealed to the state government to urgently make available its counterpart funds to match that of the army to enable the command rehabilitate the bad portions.

Meanwhile, Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe has been elected for the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi. He took over from Bishop Emeritus Athanisuis Usuh, who voluntarily retired on health ground.

Speaking at the episcopal installation of the new Bishop, Governor Samuel Ortom pledged collaboration and partnership with the church to rid the state of corruption and build a new Benue.

“This road is the only link between the barracks and the town, we have already paid the percentage required from us to the Benue State Government, so if funds are not urgently released and repairs effected quickly, the erosion will completely destroys the road and it will cut us away from the town and prevent civilians employed by us in the school from coming to work,” he lamented.

The Commandant, who intimated that the army under his command has over the times involved in some programmes to enable them share information with the Civilian Communities for effective peace maintenance; stressing too that, considering the sophistication of military operation and the emerging security issues in the country, there was need for the military to work hand in hand with civilian society for better results.

“Nigerian Army has continued to evolve and has created an Army Public Relations Office, and also established Department of Civil Military Affairs to be able to involve civilians including journalists in their task of keeping peace.”

“Aside from this, we are involved in community services such as sinking bore holes, offering of free medical healthcare to the civilian population among other things all aiming at assisting to create a cordial relation with the civil society.”

“We also have a role to provide aide to civil authority, we have the technical know how, so we can be called upon to provide our expertise in doing some jobs to assist even the state government,” he added.