Banner Online News

By Our Reporter

ASABA — Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian Army Headquarters to locate the headquarters of the newly created 83 Division of the Nigerian Army in Delta State.

Governor Oborevwori made the appeal when he received a delegation from the Nigerian Army Headquarters on a stakeholders’ consultative visit to the state over the realignment of Areas of Responsibility following the creation of the new division.

The delegation was led by the Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation, Major-General Thompson Bobby Ugiagbe.

The governor argued that Delta State was strategically positioned to host the headquarters of the 83 Division because of its central location among Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states, as well as the concentration of critical national oil and gas assets within the state.

According to him, locating the headquarters in Delta would significantly enhance the Nigerian Army’s response time and strengthen the protection of strategic national assets across the South-South region.

“Delta State is more central. Somebody coming from Edo will come through Delta, while somebody coming from Bayelsa to Edo will also pass through Delta. If the headquarters is located here, everybody can connect to the centre,” Oborevwori said.

He noted that Delta accounts for a significant proportion of Nigeria’s oil and gas production and hosts several critical national assets that require adequate security protection.

The governor further pointed to the state’s strategic transportation infrastructure, including three airports and four seaports.

“We have three airports in Asaba, Osubi and Escravos and we also have seaports in Warri, Burutu, Sapele and Koko. These are critical assets that require security,” he said.

Oborevwori appealed to the Army committee to recommend Delta State as the preferred location for the division headquarters to the Chief of Army Staff and President Tinubu, assuring that the state government was prepared to provide the necessary support for the smooth take-off of the formation.

He said the state was ready to provide land, temporary accommodation and facilities, as well as financial support towards the establishment of the new military formations.

“This is not a passive appeal for the constitution of the division. It is a request for partnership from a state that understands what is at stake,” the governor stated.

Oborevwori recalled that his administration had continued to provide land and infrastructure support for military formations established in the state, pledging that the Delta State Government would sustain its partnership with the Nigerian Army.

The governor also pointed out that Delta had produced and hosted a large pool of retired senior military officers, including several retired four-star generals, saying the location of the division headquarters in the state would also be a fitting recognition of their contributions to national service.

Earlier, Major-General Ugiagbe conveyed the goodwill of the Chief of Army Staff and expressed appreciation to Governor Oborevwori and the people of Delta State for their sustained support for the Nigerian Army.

He explained that the establishment of the 83 Division followed President Tinubu’s approval for the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions.

According to him, the newly created 83 Division will have responsibility for Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states, while the restructuring will also lead to the establishment of additional military units to strengthen security coverage and eliminate gaps in the existing operational arrangement.

Ugiagbe disclosed that Delta State would retain the 63 Brigade headquarters in Asaba, three battalions in Warri, the 90 Amphibious Battalion and the 181 Battalion.

He added that the state would receive three additional formations — the 246 Recce Battalion already established in Oleh, a new Field Artillery Regiment and an Air Defence Regiment.

The Army chief said the additional military formations were necessitated by Delta State’s strategic importance and the need to strengthen the Nigerian Army’s operational footprint across the state.

He explained that the proposed Field Artillery Regiment would be located close to the brigade headquarters, while the Air Defence Regiment was being proposed for Osubi because of its strategic importance and proximity to critical infrastructure, including the airport.

“The Air Defence Regiment provides a large coverage for critical assets like airports, refineries and other critical national infrastructure,” he said.

Major-General Ugiagbe also appealed to the Delta State Government to support the Army with temporary facilities and land to enable the new formations to commence operations pending the development of permanent infrastructure.

He said the Nigerian Army would subsequently work with relevant state agencies, including mapping and geographical information authorities, to identify and properly document land required for the new formations.

The Army, he said, was pursuing a deployment strategy designed to ensure wider geographical coverage and drastically reduce response time to security threats across the 83 Division’s proposed Area of Responsibility.

With Delta’s oil and gas installations, airports, seaports and strategic location at the heart of the proposed operational zone, Governor Oborevwori’s push for the state to host the headquarters of the new 83 Division is expected to strengthen the contest over where the command centre will eventually be located.