Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State on Tuesday appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Army to site the headquarters of the newly created 83 Division in the state.
Mr Oborevwori made the appeal when the committee from the Nigerian Army Headquarters visited him for a stakeholders’ consultative meeting at the Government House, Asaba.
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The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the committee, led by the Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation, Thompson Bobby Ugiagbe, a major-general, was in Delta as part of consultations on the realignment of areas of responsibility, arising from the creation of the 83rd Division.
‘Delta is more central’
Mr Oborevwori said Delta is strategically positioned to host the division’s headquarters because of its central location among Delta, Edo, and Bayelsa, as well as its concentration of critical national oil and gas assets.
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According to him, locating the headquarters in Delta will enhance the army’s response time and improve the protection of strategic national assets across the South-south region.
“Delta 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.”
The governor noted that Delta accounts for a significant share of Nigeria’s oil and gas production and has other strategic assets that require adequate security protection.
He said the state also has three airports and four seaports, making it strategically suitable for the proposed formation.
“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 assures of Delta’s support for new headquarters take-off
Mr Oborevwori appealed to the committee to recommend Delta as the headquarters location to the Chief of Army Staff and the President, adding that the state is prepared to support the formation’s establishment.
He said the state government is ready to provide land and temporary facilities and contribute financially toward the effective take-off of the new 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,” Mr Oborevwori said.
He recalled that his administration had provided land and infrastructure support for military formations already established in the state, assuring that the government would continue to support the Nigerian army.
The governor also said Delta has a large pool of retired senior military officers, including several retired four-star generals.
He said locating the division headquarters in the state would also be a fitting recognition of their service to the nation.
Remarks by the leader of the army delegation
Earlier, Mr Ugiagbe conveyed the goodwill of the Chief of Army Staff and expressed appreciation to the governor and people of Delta for their support.
He explained that the creation of the 83rd Division followed President Tinubu’s approval for the expansion of the Nigerian army from eight to 12 divisions.
He said the new 83rd Division would be responsible for Delta, Edo and Bayelsa.
Mr Ugiagbe added that the restructuring would lead to the creation of additional military units to strengthen security coverage and prevent gaps in the existing arrangement.
According to him, Delta will retain the 63 Brigade headquarters in Asaba, three battalions in Warri, the 90 Amphibious Battalion and the 181 Battalion.
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He disclosed that the state would also receive three additional units — the 246 Recce Battalion already established in Oleh, a new Field Artillery Regiment and an Air Defence Regiment.
Mr Ugiagbe said the additional formations were necessitated by Delta’s strategic importance and the need to strengthen the army’s footprint across the state.
He explained that the army had proposed locating the Field Artillery Regiment close to the brigade headquarters. In contrast, the Air Defence Regiment is proposed for Osubi due to 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.
The army chief also sought the state government’s support for temporary facilities and land to enable the new formations to commence operations while permanent infrastructure is being developed.
He said the army would subsequently work with the state’s relevant agencies, including its mapping and geographical information authorities, to identify and properly document the land required for the new formations.
Mr Ugiagbe said the army’s deployment strategy aimed to ensure geographical spread and reduce response times to security threats across the division’s area of responsibility.
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