Nigeria Content Online

Some army personnel
can now work in a more conducive environment, following the
construction and rehabilitation of office facilities at the MHYOUNG
Barracks at Yaba, Lagos, on Thursday.

The Chief of Army
Staff, Abdurrahman Dambazzau, the Minister for State for Defence,
Murtala Shehu Yar’Adua, the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, and other
senior government officers were present at the commissioning of nine
structures which include: administrative blocks, three warehouses, a
general store, a dental lab store, canteen, RSM office, guard house and
stores offices, as part of the flag-off of the 2010 Army Day
celebration.

In his welcome
address, U.S. Essien, a major general, said the construction and
rehabilitation of the facilities was carried out by direct labour,
involving the Nigerian Army engineer corps.

“About six months
ago, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. A.B. Dambazzau, tasked the
Nigerian army engineers to demolish the dilapidated temporary
structures that serve as the central medical stores and reconstruct new
ones by direct labour.

“The new facility
is what we are commissioning today,” he said, adding, “Work for the
project was scheduled to last for 18 weeks but after the 15th week, we
had completed the construction, in spite of the adverse conditions.”

More projects

Lt General Dambazzau said the army will be positioned to carry more direct labour initiative in the country.

“The resources are
very limited and this is why we engaged in the direct labour project,
first to save cost, and to maximise the little resources we have. To
save time and more especially to develop human capacity, there is need
to develop our personnel, to engage them in national development not
only for the army but for the nation as a whole.

“We all know that
the importance of appropriate storage facilities for drugs and other
medical equipment until they get to the end-users cannot be
overemphasised. I am glad that this facility has met the standard of
the UN level 2 stores.”

The guest of honour
at the event, the Minister of Defence, Adetokunbo Kayode, who was
represented by Murtala Shehu Yar’Adua, the Minister of State for
Defence, said the ministry will continue to support the army and other
defence parastatals to carry out their duties effectively.

Also, Mr Yar’Adua
said the Ministry of Defence will soon meet with the federal government
to discuss the issue of the retirement of senior army officers, an
issue which has caused a rumble in the military.

“The Ministry of
Defence will continue to support government agencies both morally and
financially to carry out their functions. In regards to the retirement
of some army officers, we will have a meeting with the federal
government very soon and the issue will be addressed. Salary increment
is another issue, but we have limited funds; but the government is
looking into it,” said Mr Yar’Adua.