By Emmanuel Agbo, Abakaliki.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has urged qualified youths in Ebonyi State to take advantage of the ongoing Nigerian Army recruitment exercise, expressing concern over the state’s persistently low participation in previous recruitment exercises.
Shaibu made the call during an Army recruitment sensitisation programme in Abakaliki Local Government Area of the state, where he appealed to traditional rulers, community leaders, parents and other stakeholders to mobilise eligible youths at the grassroots to enlist in the Nigerian Army.
The Army Chief, who was represented at the event by Brigadier General O. Igwe, said increased participation by Ebonyi youths would enable the state to utilise its recruitment quota and contribute to strengthening the country’s security architecture.
He also commended Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for his support for the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in the state.
Shaibu said the poor participation of Ebonyi and other South-East states in previous recruitment exercises remained a matter of concern, noting that more than 300 slots were reportedly allocated to Ebonyi in the last exercise, but only about 75 applicants participated.
He urged stakeholders to address the factors responsible for the low turnout and ensure that qualified youths were adequately informed about available opportunities in the military.
The COAS said the Nigerian Army conducts recruitment exercises periodically, depending on manpower requirements, urging eligible youths to see military service as an opportunity for career development, discipline and national service.
He said, “We have the Depot in Amasiri. Let us take advantage of this opportunity. Don't allow anybody to discourage you because there are many advantages in the Nigerian Army.”
Shaibu also sought to dispel concerns that joining the Nigerian Army automatically meant deployment to conflict-prone areas, explaining that although military personnel could be deployed anywhere in the country in line with their oath of service, deployment was determined by operational requirements.
“If you join the Nigerian Army, you will take an oath to serve anywhere,” he said, adding that he had served in about 80 per cent of the states in Nigeria without any incident.
The Army Chief further advised youths below the age of 21 who met the requisite conditions to consider applying to the Nigerian Defence Academy, describing it as another pathway through which young Nigerians could pursue military careers.
The establishment of the Nigerian Army Training Depot at Amasiri-Edda has provided a major military training facility in Ebonyi and the wider South-East.
The Army has previously called on youths in the region to take advantage of the facility and improve participation in military recruitment.
Also speaking, the Commander, Nkwegu Military Cantonment, Lieutenant Colonel Ikenna Emmanuel, urged qualified youths to overcome their fears and participate in the recruitment exercise, assuring them of the Army’s welfare and institutional support.
The Executive Chairman of Abakaliki Local Government Area, Chief Chidiebere Onyemaechi Alo, commended the Army for organising the sensitisation programme, describing it as timely.
Alo urged youths to participate actively in military and other legitimate paramilitary recruitment exercises, while rejecting the perception that joining the military was synonymous with death.
He also encouraged young people to shun idleness and pursue productive careers and enterprises capable of making them self-reliant.
The Chairman of the Ebonyi State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Charles Mkpuma, assured the Army that traditional institutions would take the recruitment message to their respective communities and encourage qualified youths to participate.
Similarly, the traditional ruler of Umunwagu Idembia Community, Eze Uchenna Nwuhuo, expressed concern over the killing of security personnel, which he said had contributed to apprehension among some youths about joining the military.
Nwuhuo called for stronger measures to protect military personnel and urged the Army to extend its sensitisation campaigns to secondary schools to “catch them young”.
He also urged youths to look beyond politics in seeking means of livelihood, encouraging them to consider military service and other productive career opportunities.
The sensitisation programme was attended by local government chairmen, senior government officials, traditional rulers, community leaders, youths and women from across the state.
The event also featured the presentation of an award by the Nigerian Army to the Executive Chairman of Abakaliki Local Government Area.
