Uzodimma urges increased military, civilian partnership

Appoints Nkemakolam, ENTRACO GM

The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has urged military-civilian cooperation in the South East and the country at large.

The governor made the call, yesterday, when the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Faruk Yakubu, visited him at the Government House, Owerri.

According to him, the situation still appeared that civilians are seeing soldiers as enemies, who came to kill those they are meant to protect.

He stressed that the presence of soldiers in the state, for the 46th Army Day celebration, should be explored to improve on the peoples’ perception of their image.

The theme of the event, ‘Repositioning the Nigerian Army in a Joint Operations Environment: A Panacea for Success in Addressing Contemporary Security Challenges,’ according to Uzodimma, is “apt, topical and reflective of the mood of the nation today.”

He urged the military to develop a robust framework to bring all security agencies together to frontally handle insecurity.

He advocated ending inter -security agencies rivalry and promote sharing of intelligence reports. Uzodimma commended the soldiers for the sacrifices and price they pay to protect the territorial integrity of the country, assuring that such would not be in vain.
He said: “In truth, no sacrifice can be higher than this.

“The Labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain.”

He praised the military for the Civil/Military Cooperation Impact Project, which is ready for commissioning, saying: “It would help in building a healthy relationship between the military and the civilian population.

“This will go a long way towards building trust and erasing the mutual suspicion that exists between the civilian and military.”

IN another development, Uzodimma has appointed Nzewodo Nkemakolam the General Manager of the Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO).

In a statement issued, yesterday, by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser, Oguike Nwachuku, the appointment of Nkemakolam, an engineer, takes immediate effect.

The statement, which was made available to journalists, reads: “Nkemakolam’s appointment takes immediate effect.

“In appointing him into the office, Uzodimma took into consideration his training as an engineer and the track record of performance in places he had worked.

“More importantly, the governor urged him to make an enduring mark at ENTRACO so that posterity would be kind to him.”