Victor Ohwotemu, Asaba
Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Governor of Delta State has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Army Headquarters to site the headquarters of the newly created 83 Division of the Nigerian Army in Delta State.
Rt. Hon. Oborevwori made the appeal when he received a Committee from the Nigerian Army Headquarters on a stakeholders’ consultative visit to the state as part of consultations on the realignment of Areas of Responsibility arising from the creation of the 83 Division.
The Committee was led by Maj-Gen. Thompson Bobby Ugiagbe, Chief of Army Standards and Evaluation.
The governor argued that Delta was strategically positioned to host the division headquarters because of its central location among Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states, as well as its concentration of critical national oil and gas assets.
Rt. Hon. Oborevwori said that locating the headquarters in Delta State would enhance the Army’s response time and improve the protection of strategic national assets across the South-South region.
According to the Governor, “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.”
He noted that Delta State accounts for a significant proportion of Nigeria’s oil and gas production and has other strategic assets requiring adequate security protection.
The governor said that the state also had three airports and four seaports, making it strategically suitable for the proposed formation.
He added, “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.
“I am using this opportunity to appeal to the Committee to recommend Delta as the headquarters location to the Chief of Army Staff and the President. Delta State is prepared to support the establishment of the formation.
“We are ready to provide land and temporary facilities and contribute financially towards 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”.
Rt. Hon. Oborevwori recalled that his administration had provided land and infrastructure support for military formations already established in the state, he assured that the government would continue to support the Nigerian Army.
He also said Delta had a large pool of retired senior military officers, including several retired four-star generals, arguing that locating the division headquarters in the state would also be a fitting recognition of their service to the nation.
Earlier, Maj-Gen Ugiagbe conveyed the goodwill of the Chief of Army Staff and expressed appreciation to the governor and people of Delta for their support for the Nigerian Army.
Maj-Gen Ugiagbe explained that the creation of the 83 Division followed President Tinubu’s approval for the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions.
He said that the new 83 Division would have responsibility for Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states, adding that the restructuring would lead to the creation of additional military units to strengthen security coverage and prevent gaps in the existing arrangement.
Maj-Gen Ugiagbe disclosed that Delta State would retain the 63 Brigade headquarters in Asaba, three battalion in Warri, the 90 Amphibious Battalion and the 181 Battalion.
He further 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.
Maj-Gen 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, while the Air Defence Regiment is being proposed for Osubi because of its strategic importance and proximity to critical infrastructure, including the airport.
According to Maj-Gen Ugiagbe “the Air Defence Regiment provides a large coverage for critical assets like airports, refineries and other critical national infrastructure”.
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 was 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.
Maj-Gen Ugiagbe stressed that the Army’s deployment strategy was aimed at ensuring geographical spread and reducing response time to security threats across the division’s area of responsibility.
