The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Toareed Lagbaja has charged troops of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army (NA) to go after economic saboteurs and ensure they are completely stamped out.
He gave them the order on Friday, 13 April 2023 in Port Harcourt, while addressing troops during his maiden working tour to 6 Division Area of Responsibility.
General Lagbaja reiterated that the main focus of the Federal Government is economic recovery, security, and infrastructural development. The nation, he said cannot experience meaningful economic recovery without having a firm grip on the oil industry, stressing that troops are critical to securing the nation’s oil industry.
Challenging them on loyalty, discipline, and commitment to their constitutional responsibilities, he stressed, “Your loyalty, first is to the Constitution and Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” he asserted.
Gen Lagbaja admonished the troops not to violate the codes of conduct guiding the execution of their operations to ensure the safety and security of the society, emphasizing that he wants to continually receive positive feedback about troops of 6 Division throughout the period of Exercise STILL WATERS III.
During the visit, General Lagbaja commissioned landmark projects, as well as critical operational platforms needed to rejig amphibious operations in the Niger Delta region.
He stated that the set of 10 Gunboats procured is the first wave, as efforts are ongoing to acquire more platforms that would improve the operational capability of the NA in the riverine domain.
The COAS later visited the 6 Division Step Up Headquarters at Ahoada, where he stressed the importance of inter-agency collaboration. “We brought you here together with the personnel of other security agencies so that you can work together in a multi-agency environment, essentially to consolidate existing interagency cooperation. You must work together, you must work as comrades,” he averred.
Earlier at Ahoada, the General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Jamal Abdussalam appreciated the COAS for the strategic, moral, and financial support to the Division.
He clarified, that Exercise STILL WATERS III will provide an opportunity for commanders and operatives, to carry out effective operational planning, logistics preparation, and conduct of Military Operations Other than War (MOOW), as well as tactical amphibious operations.
He added, that it will also focus on the conduct of civil-military activities geared towards winning the hearts and minds of the local populace.
The highlight of the visit was the flag off of Exercise STILL WATERS III in Rivers state, a courtesy call on the Governor of Rivers State, Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, commissioning of several projects, including 10 Gunboats, remodeled 6 Division Headquarters Complex reception, twin Regimental Sergeant Majors quarters, Ordnance tailoring factory, remodelled Corpers’ Lodge and new office complex to accommodate the Headquarters 26 Support Engineer Regiment amongst others.
