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Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2011
Metro In the jungle' with Chief of Ar~y Staff BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME
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r"HRISTMAS has come and gone but soldiers on '-Anternal security operations in Ahia, one of the states. in the Niger Delta have reason to relish the memories of that day for a long time ~o come. UDmrein the past when the Chief ofAnny Staffstayed back at the Flag Staff House in Ahuja for Ouistmail or travel on Ouistmas vacation to his village, the new Chief of Army Staff. U General Azubuike Ihejirika chose to be with his soldiers in the jungle, an action the soldiers on ground described as morale lifting. \f:mgurud Metro gathered that it was the first time after the civil war that a Chief of Army Staff would be in the jungle on Ouistmas day with his soldiers. His action no doubt was like a tonic to soldiers. Accompanied by the General Officer Commanding 82 Division. MajorGeneral Sariki Yarki Bello and other soldiers within the division, the Chief of Army Staff went round all the forward base operations set up by the Army to stem the rising tide of kidnappi..i1.g and other related crimes in the area. At the Air Force base in Port Harcourt where he landed before heading on the morale lifting trip by road he lac mented the Ouistmas eve bomb blasts inJos, describing it as an act of terrorism. He said the Army originally came intoJos to quell religious-related crisis but with theintroduction of terrorists act in the crisis in the area it had become necessary for the Army to review its strategy, this time with emphasis on intelligence gathering and operations. He assured that the Army would take all steps to · stem the growing bomb cuiturein the country. It would be recalled that before the Jos bemb blasts a similar incident had occurred in Ahuja on October 1, a· time the nation was celebrating its golden jubilee independence !illniversary. Nigerians were gathered at the Eagle Square for the anniversary when the bombs place before the arrival of suddenly went off killing the special troop. Accordseveral persons and injur- ingtohim, thesituationwas · ing others. The sad develreallyyel)' bad. Residents opment sent panic round fled while those who had the co,!-ntry'.. You could no place to relocate to' re- . signed to fate. Their lives therefore imagine the apprehension that followed were at the mercy of the the Jos blasts which cam,e kidnappers. up approximately eleven One of his subjects who weeks after. spoke recalled that his elThe COAS as the. Chief der brother and mother of Army Staff has come to were victi..ms of abduction be called in military circies at separate times. Several later headed a long corwoy others also took time to tell .. ' of soldiers 8nried to the bitter tales in'the hands of teeth to Abia·State. At kidnappers. They~also ".' 'Ukwa WE$t where he ad- 'used the oPPortunity to . dreSsed seldiE'Ji! of 11 pla~press profoundg~ati· toons, anantickidhapping . tude., to the Army for' > UI1it,hesaid he was really'" cQJDing.tokeep thesecuri.' "impressed with feedback tyin. the area. ~e tradifrom the community on .~~~ther.~~~aOsf·the.s(k. · theiroperatit;llJl;. GQC82,' ~"""'".... U,.,<:.UUH . Divisi\m, IV1ajor'Gener~ : 'sllidietsat restoring peace' 'Bello told'the \.fujgtiardjn~thECl area later bffel'tlll to Metro that 'the loCal gov- :. comet a title'o'Jlthl'l Ghlef eriunent was I.i.\re the den ·ofAmfy StaftwhQ qUiddy o'tkidnappersiliAblaState ...pJ.eildedtnat suchan~t before soldiers. were .. be"left for a day. he Wguld brought in to free the state. sJ?eciallycome to t11e area from their grip. The tradifor it, Nevertheless, the trational ruler of the area at a ditiortal ruler went ahead point was reportedly kid- . to decorate 'him'with a napped by the hoodlums.wrappeJ;symbolisingtheir Thede,Ployment of a spedeepgratitudetotheArmy cia1anti-kidnapping unit of for the new found peace in the Army.brought the the area. needed peace to the area. The Army Chief said he At Azumini Ndoki in was humbled by the reUkwa East Local sponse of the people to the Government Area, after military operations in their meeting with his soldiers He added thatitwas on ground, the COAS in also mind-boggling that company of the GOC and such level of crime could other soldiers went on a take place in Igbo commucourtesy visit to the. nities, a people considered traditional ruler ofthe arpa, to be very industrious. He HRM Eze Nwachukwu assured that the Armv Adendu who took time to would continue to collabo'tell the bitter ste'-, of tile ratev.rithcommunities to rid
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'The COAS, flanked by his wife and soldiers, cuts the Xmas cake in the jungle for bringing peace back to th~ would be no hiding Wives Association assured the area of unwanted Ahia State. He said Presiplace for them. Before leavthe soldiers of the prayers elements just as he endent Jonathan was happy ingthebase, theCOASlatof her bOdy,. joined youths in the area with 'their efforts and they At ObotAkwa Ibom base to embrace the values of ercutaChristmascakeWith should continue to put in operation the Army Chief . hard work . hiS wife, the GOC, Genertheir best. He also remindal Bello, and the soldiers on promised to provide solAtAkirikobo community. ed them that the pride of a diers on ground with some aborderto.wn betwEenAbia ground. The wife also soldier was giving his best . charged the soldiers to conof the basics they need to andAkwa Ibom states, the to his country. tinue to give their best. Mrs enhance their operations .. . people said before soldiers The Chief of Army Staff Theji..rika who spoke in her The ArmyChiefat all the was accompanied on the capacity as Chairperson of . forward base operations trip by his wife and his son. !'ligerian Army Officers visited thanked the soldiers
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A D A MA twtlbecliuSeriflackofcOm.-. :"Th~Commissioner.said!he CommunitY Asso- mitmentandinabilityofpre- _pOOject hail larililated all-year '. ciations in AIlambra Slale' viirusadministratianstoconroundfaimirigandprocessing' ~ presentlY afford to Smile. trtbute coilniet-partfimding.ot agricultliIaI piodua. and Tbi:o is cOl.ll"teSy of Governor'" GoyernorObiasomedthat :. ci!/Ied_un:more~unities. abduction al . "~'Obi who recen!iY /;It a. . 81lon-goingprojectsinAwklt .. -tolieinvolve<i,' .' - , . '.J'L02r.:»#.. , tim". ..... meeting at the Colh!ge of A!fNQrth ini!fucllng!he bridge'. .Th~:SpedalAdinSer to the ~ l'iciIltuJ:e, M~ disirlS-·· and IJcal projects Will SOOn qo~mor on l'roj!:cts; .. Mtr.+: ...... uted cheques totalling N35 be.cOlllpieted. , Nwanne 'Ejikeme said the .. . 'inlllion 'the associationS. The AliiUi!ma Slate FAD- . 'Statewail setfing1tle pace 1pt Thisissaid19bririg N260m1l:i\MA .Coordinator, .Mr,E!XECUti.mdFADAMA~ ) . lion the total disbursement thukwudl' Mojekwu \'lIdurgectoth<1gaveniors.to;. made to the COnpnunity as' ihankedtheGovernorforhis eIi1ulal:e GoVernor Obi in his. sociatioris by Goiremor Obi's commitment to FADAMA . direcl emJl<lW"lIllent of fannadministration. projeclsandtimedthebene€IS. Onedthebene!icil\ries, ficiartes to utilise whatever Pastor Angus Okoli said ~ Distributing the .cheques, carne kidnappers held Governor Obi charged the they had been given in the Governor had brought a goldsway. They'said the spot beneficiarteS to ensure pruinterest of the project. endawnfarfann€lSandnoted where the Army set up its dent and judicious use of the The Conunissioner for Ag_ 1hat for the firsttime, the State forward base operation funds to sustain productive ricultuJ:eandRuralDevelophas a Governor who underwas like a camp for the economic activity that will meat, Chief Godson Ezenagu s_ds the problems of the kidnappers .as they alleggrassrrom and was ~ding upgrade quality· s_dard of said the .number 01 subedly brought their victi..ms living as his administration projects being sponsored by pennanent solution to them. to the place. They gracious- is determined to eradicate the State FADAMA three In their separate reactions, ly thanked the Army for hunThgeerG"!!?eextrmoremso~ POVneertyces~ project was being scaled up other beneficiaries, M!: Gilbert v. ~d ne . from 104 to 449 spread Okoye,M!:OkesiemeAnisobi bringing peace to the area. and MIs Theresa Chidebelu smy measures had been put across 114 coinmunities in The army Chief later ap20 participating local govsaidtheGovernorhadrestored pealed to governors ofthe in place to ensurestrictmonitoring of the utilization of the emmentcouncils, while 76 of smiles to the faces offannelS two states to take steps to fund andreminded them that these sub-projects have been and assured theywoultljustily productively engage the World Bank was documentcompleted and others are at the confidence reposed in youths just as he again read ing all projects the fund .Vla, vartous levels of completion. them. the riots act tram President used to execute. He receJled Goodluck Jonathan to all that the State could not Da)'Or'TACT: mykeboh@yaho(Lco.uk OStlstiillllS2 ticipate in FADAMAone and criminal elements that "' .
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