Okowa hosts Buratai, lists security challenges, inaugurates military formation

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa yesterday hosted the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, listing the security challenges confronting Delta State. He enumerated them to include farmers-herders clashes and kidnapping, noting that there was a lot of work to do.

The governor, who commended the Nigeria Army Asaba during the official inauguration of the 63 Brigade Headquarters of the Nigerian Army, Asaba, appreciated the military’s cooperation with other security agencies in tackling the malaise in the state.

While praising the Nigerian Army Engineering Corps for its efforts at transforming the Brigade Headquarters, Okowa urged the military and other security agencies to intensify efforts at resolving the frequent disputes between farmers and herders across the state.

His words: “I must truly thank the Chief of Army Staff for bringing this Brigade to Delta. We used to be supervised by the Brigade in Benin and we were excited when we heard of the approval for a Brigade in Asaba.

“I thank God for the provision of funds for the realisation of this Brigade and I thank you for the support because the operationalisaion of this Brigade will help us to achieve greater peace in Delta.

“We have had a very warm relationship with your officers here and that of the 6 Division. As a state, we take security matters very seriously even as we meet twice a month. Your officers have cooperated with other sister security agencies and that has helped us in achieving the peace we enjoy in the state.”

The governor further noted: “Delta is peaceful today, though we have had few incidents that make us sad, but with all hands on deck, we will surmount all the security challenges. We will continue to support the army and other security agencies in the state as much as our finances can carry.

“We still have security challenges such as farmers-herders clashes and kidnapping which obviously were going down, but we still have a lot of work to do even though we are already working hard and we do hope that the cooperation we have in the past will continue.”

In his remarks, Buratai said: “The establishment of the 63 Brigade of the Nigerian Army is not a coincidence, but well thought out in view of the strategic role of the state in the economy of the country.”

He continued: “I am glad to have personally come for the inauguration of the headquarters which was provided by the Delta State Government. Let me express my profound appreciation to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the donation of this headquarters.

“The establishment of this headquarters is the first critical step in the full operationalisaion of the Brigade. I am aware of the critical support of the government and people of Delta to the success of this Brigade and such support had engendered good civil-military relations in the state.

“Your donation and funding of this headquarters have shown that there is good understanding of the role of security to the development of any state.”

The military commended the state government for the provision of vehicles to the brigade, assuring the people that the army would continue to reciprocate the kind gestures of the current administration by ensuring adequate security of the state.

The General Officer Commanding, 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Felix Abugo, thanked the governor for his support to the brigade and the division.