Respite is on the way for troubled communities in Enugu State as the Nigerian Army has pledged to tackle insecurity in those communities, citing Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of the state as a major case where lives have been at risk for sometime now.
Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) who made the pledge also assured that the army would strengthen security efforts in those communities which he described as “dark areas”, commending the state government for being a good partner in the fight against insecurity.
Lagbaja, who spoke during a working visit to the state, said the desire and effort of the state government aligned with the goal of the army to expand the frontiers of peace and stability for law-abiding citizens to thrive.
He commended Peter Mbah, the governor of the state, for the support provided for the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, the Garrison,103 Battalion and other deployments across the state.
Mbah commended the army for the immense support for his government’s efforts to boost security in order to grow the state’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion and also called for an army barrack to be sited in Isi-Uzo area of the state to ensure permanent security.
“Following my assumption of office as the Chief of Army Staff on June 23 last year, I have taken time out to visit the formations and units of the Nigerian Army to assess the deployment of our troops across the country in a bid to address some challenges confronting the troops in order to improve their operational effectiveness, Lagbaja said.
“I have been rest-assured of the support of the governor of the Enugu State as well as the other governors in the South East to the efforts of our troops to create a stable, peaceful, and enabling environment for the economy of the South East to thrive,” he added.
He noted that the desire of the Nigerian Army aligns perfectly with those of the government and the people of Enugu State which was to rid the society of criminal elements and ensure that peace and stability prevailed for law-abiding citizens going about their lawful businesses.
“I have taken note of the brief by the GOC, 82 Division, and even my private chat with the governor. The Army Headquarters will address all issues raised, including having boots on the ground in Isi-Uzo with the desire to rid the area of criminal elements and to ensure that economic activities thrive in that area,” he said.
He assured that the army headquarters would take steps to address some dark areas that have been pointed out in a bid to expand the frontiers of peace and stability in the state, pledging continuous support of the formations and other units of the Nigerian Army to the effort of the state government to ensure that peace reigns in the state.
Speaking, Governor Mbah said his administration was on course to fulfill the promises it made to the people of the state because the army had been very supportive of his government’s efforts to stamp out every trace of insecurity in the state.
“We executed a social pact with the people of Enugu State. We promised them that we envisioned an Enugu State that would be one of the top three states in the country in terms of gross domestic product and that we were going to grow our economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion.
“We also said to them that we were on a mission to make Enugu the premier destination for investment, business, tourism, and living. We recognise that this growth will not come from the public sector. It would all come from the private sector, and the private sector investment does not agree with insecurity, which is why we spared no time in declaring war on insecurity,” the governor said.
