The Nigerian Army has commenced a sensitisation campaign in Rivers and Delta States aimed at boosting its regular personnel intake shortfall in the areas.
The army during an advocacy visit to the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said the two states in the South-South zone fell below its 60 per cent quota during the last recruitment exercise.
Leader of the Army delegation in Rivers, Brigadier-General Timmy Mackintosh, said the anomaly needed to be quickly addressed to avoid complaints of marginalisation in the next one to two decades.
Mackintosh, specifically said Rivers State could not make up 60 per cent of its own quota, saying it was not good enough.
He further said the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, having observed the trend mandated the team to sensitise the indigenes of the state, in a bid to grow intakes.
Mackintosh stated, “We are here from the Army headquarters to sensitise Rivers State on the Nigerian Army requirement that is ongoing and the major reason we are doing this is that the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja has realised that Rivers and Delta state in the South-South zone are lacking when it comes to recruitment into the Nigerian Army.
“The recruitment that is ongoing is regular intake 86, for 84 and 85 regular intakes, Rivers State, in particular, could not make up 60 per cent of its own quoter which today we may not see it as a problem.
“But in the next 10, 15, 20 years, it will be a problem because, at that time, we will be the ones shouting we are marginalised.“So, the Chief of Army staff deemed it fit that we should come and speak to you to assist us in speaking to your indigenes.”
He stated that the minimum academic requirement was four credits, adding that the army usually caters for the academic upliftment of its personnel.
He added, “In as much as we are looking to join the Army, the military is not a place where we do not take care of our own, we do take very good care of our own in areas such as uplifting them academically, medically and otherwise.
“One of the requirements for us is a minimum of four credits for those that want to join the army. I can tell you that with those four credits today, there are people who are going for master’s degrees especially for the lower cadre, because the army sent them to school, both in military institutions and even civil.
“I know a lot of my soldiers that the army sponsored them up to their BSc, Masters and some are even doing their PhD. So, it is an opportunity for our people to come, you don’t need to know anybody to join the army. Just make sure you meet the basic criteria.”
Speaking, the Secretary to the state, Danagogo, attributed the low turnout of Rivers people to the Army recruitment to ignorance and information gap.
The SSG stated, “Why we have this problem is basically caused by either ignorance or lack of information, a lot of times, most of the people in the oceanic areas, Riverine areas, in the hinterlands, they don’t regularly see the newspapers.
“You may have published this in the newspapers, but go the extra mile to reach these people in these areas who don’t regularly read newspapers.
“Only the few people in the cities like Port Harcourt would know and that is why it is our responsibility.
“Once we know that something like this is happening, we make sure we spread it to all in the state.”
