The Chief of Army Staff, Lieut-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has told soldiers and officers of the force that the army under the administration of President Bola Tinubu would not tolerate any form of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta region.
Lagbaja told the personnel that the President remained committed to totally transforming the army and would require them to demonstrate complete loyalty in achieving the government’s targets of economic recovery, security, and infrastructural development.
He insisted that no personnel should be linked to pipeline vandals and other criminal elements, sabotaging the nation’s economy.
The COAS spoke in Port Harcourt on Friday during a visit to the 6 Division of Nigeria Army, Port Harcourt, where he inaugurated the remoulded reception of the Division, Ordnance Tailoring Factory, 46 Engr. Bedroom RSM, GAR. Accommodation, 10 gunboats and vehicles, remodeled NYSC lodge, 6 Div Engineering Regiment.
Lagbaja was also in the state to lay the foundation for the 6 Division Shopping Mall and kick off Operation Still Water III.
Lagbaja, while addressing men and officers of the Division at the 29 Battalion Parade Ground, commended the personnel for their war against oil thieves within the state and the region and called on them to intensify their efforts.
He said the military’s efforts yielded expected results following reports by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) that the crude oil production output improved in 2023.
He said: “Thank you, troop of 6 Division for your service to the nation. Your operational activities are well noted and they have contributed positively to the nation’s economic development.
“Just, yesterday, the NNPCL reported that the crude oil production in Nigeria has reached its peak in 2023. And that is all due to your anti-bunkering and combating illegal economic activities in your Area of Responsibility (AoR). So, well done.
“I still want to charge you, that for the fact that you are being commended now does not mean you should go and sleep. You still have a lot to do.
“The focus of the government is economic recovery, security and infrastructural development. A nation cannot experience any form of economic recovery without first having a grip on the oil industry and you are key to that firm grip on the oil industry.
“So, this afternoon, I want to charge you, wherever you will be deployed outside the barracks, you must not collude with oil vandals. You will not enter into alliance with economic saboteurs, kidnappers, or enemies of the nation.”
Lagbaja insisted that the federal government was fully committed to the total transformation of the army and called on the personnel to maintain total loyalty, discipline, and commitment to achieving the President’s targets of economic recovery, infrastructural development, and security.
He said: “Besides that, as soldiers you are expected to be loyal and disciplined always. Don’t be distracted. You are soldiers. Your loyalty first is to the constitution, then to the government of the day. And you will remain so. You will remain loyal, dedicated, and committed.”
Lagbaja said that his core values for the army were to ensure good leadership, operational efficiency, and sound administration adding that he would ensure that the welfare of soldiers was taken seriously.
He said: “The Nigeria Army is being transformed and this transformation is total. Just like I have mentioned during the commission of these gunboats, my command philosophy rests on the three beams of Leadership, Operational Effectiveness and Sound Administration.
“Since morning, I have gone around the barracks and the GOC has briefed me on the challenges that confront you, the lack of some critical equipment you need to operate in your environment.
“Others are the accommodation, especially for those of you that come from 2 Brigade, 16 Brigade, and 63 Brigade and some others issues.
“We have taken note of these. The government is disposed to transform this army. In the recent past, I have talked about the Presidential approval to clear the backlog of entitlements for the families of our departed colleagues.
“Also the government has entered into a contract to procure Helicopters to start the Nigeria Army Aviation and so many other areas of intervention the government is doing.
“I think if the government is doing this much, then you must reciprocate. What is expected of you is that you continue to remain disciplined, dedicated, and committed to the task at hand.”
While paying a courtesy visit to the Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, Lagbaja said he was in Port Harcourt as part of his visit to formations and units under his command in the state.
He thanked Fubara for the continuous support, intervention, and cooperation with the army in performing its operations in Rivers
Fubara in his response called on the COAS to investigate an allegation that some army officers were involved in oil bunkering in Rivers.
The governor said the suspected officers were attached to a particular company in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local government area.
Fubara said: “One special problem that we have here is the issue of bunkering. In some parts of the State, in Ahoada East and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni, most of the bunkering activities, we believe, is subsisting because there is this cooperation between the Army and high-top oil companies.
“I’m saying this because there is this road we are constructing somewhere in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni and each time the contractor approaches this particular company and pleads that they allow that they allow them to go ahead with our job, the military will always come and attack our contractors.”
Fubara said he tried to resolve the problem without success because of the vested interest of the officers and urged the Chief of Army Staff to call them to order.
He said: “Carrying out some assignments with any company does not give any person powers to decide for the State how things should be done. Look into the matter”.
He commended the army and other security agencies for their efforts to maintain peace and security across the state.
