The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, as part of efforts to build affordable housing units for personnel of the Nigerian Army (NA) on Tuesday performed groundbreaking ceremony of Nigerian Army Mass Housing Development Project Phase 2 at the Army Command Estate Asokoro, Abuja.
Speaking at the event, Gen Yahaya stated that the initiative to embark on the mass housing development project was to assuage the housing challenges faced by personnel after retirement.
He noted that due to the introduction of reasonable discounts by the Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL) in favour of its personnel, the project will no doubt provide the necessary succour of post-retirement housing.
Gen Yahaya added that the project is one of the mass housing projects embarked upon by the NA across the country for the benefit of both serving personnel and the general public.
He reiterated that the initiative was in line with his cardinal mission of making the welfare of personnel a priority to transform the NA as aptly captured in his vision adding that this has partly informed his drive in the construction and rehabilitation of numerous facilities across NA formations and units, ranging from living accommodations, office complexes, training schools, and other support facilities in the barracks.
Yahaya further stated that the ongoing NA infrastructural intervention at the Army Command Estate Asokoro will inevitably crash the teething accommodation challenges for NA personnel.
Similarly, the COAS on Tuesday commissioned the newly constructed Headquarters Directorate of Legal Services (Army) to properly position the Directorate to provide the needed conducive environment for effective service delivery in support of the NA.
The Army Chief stressed that over time, the Directorate of Legal Service has grown and distinguished itself in the temple of justice.
He added that the effort of the Directorate in providing timely and balanced legal advice and services contributed to the overall drive of the NA in carrying out her constitutional responsibilities within the ambit of the law.
The occasion was graced by former Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Tukur Buratai rtd, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court Hon Justice Binta Nyako, Vice Chairman Nigerian Army Properties Limited Lt Gen Lamidi Adeosun rtd, Principal Staff Officers from Army Headquarters and former Directors of the Directorate.
Also present at the event were the Group Managing Directors of the Services Properties Limited, Managing Director of Continental Civil and General Construction Company, among several other distinguished guests.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has approved a list of Hotlines to monitor and report the conduct of troops during the 2023 general election noting that it was in pursuant of its constitutional mandate of providing support to civil authorities and safeguard the sanctity of Democracy in Nigeria,
“The effort which is part of the NA gesture to support the lead agency for the conduct of free ,fair and peaceful elections will position the institution to professionally discharge its constitutional duties”, it said.
It could be recalled that the NA earlier produced and circulated Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement for Operation Safe Conduct to formations and Units which is aimed at guiding and ensuring that troops operate within the purview of international best practices.
Director of Army Public Relations, Brig Gen Onyema Nwachukwu who made this known in a statement said, “Accordingly, members of general public are enjoined to call the phone numbers in their various states including Federal Capital Abuja for any misconduct by the NA personnel or report any security breach during the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
The States and numbers allocated for citizens to call are Abia State -08031113129, Adamawa State – 08022750987, Akwa Ibom – 07034470916, Anambra State – 07035891185, Bauchi State – 08128063675, Bayelsa State – 08033241005, Benue State ,- 08080754339, Borno State – 09099616160 & 08086987079
Other States are Cross River – 08037084192, Delta State – 07035070797, Ebonyi State –
08158274048, Edo State –
09066325953, Ekiti State –
08037851448, Enugu State – 09032102212 & 08023097458, Gombe State – 07063908779 & 08082557782, Imo State – 07034907427, Jigawa State –
07017791414 & 08100144363, Kaduna State – 07031544227, 08028580978 & 08035242633
Kano State – 08038432656, Katsina State – 08108854061 & 09012998054, Kebbi – 09130213661, Kogi State –08033217964, Kwara State –
09060001270, Lagos State –
08034025825, 08023190487, 09024409000, & 08033709434, Nasarawa State – 09051009404, Niger State – 07031346425, Ogun State –
09116589494, Ondo State –08036130535 , Osun State – 09019683922, Oyo State – 07047703000, Plateay State –
08037116395 & 07031260622
Rivers State – 08064274222, Sokoto State – 07069084570, 07052693532 & 08136913284, Taraba State – 08136728969 & 08060902363, Yobe State – 08061397656, Zamfara State –
08140075541, FCT – 09114913164, 08186690471, 08079153860, 08034276240, 08164304255, & 09159793968
