Indications of severe accommodation crisis facing military personnel in the country owing to recent increase in recruitment have emerged, even as plans are being put in place by the Defence Headquarters to embark on construction of housing quarters for 100 soldiers and their families in Abuja.
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By Kingsley Omonobi
Abuja—Indications of severe accommodation crisis facing military personnel in the country owing to recent increase in recruitment have emerged, even as plans are being put in place by the Defence Headquarters to embark on construction of housing quarters for 100 soldiers and their families in Abuja.
It was gathered that with the war on Boko Haram in the North-East gaining momentum, the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta, which brought about the new 6th Division for the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt and the deadly activities of herdsmen, banditry, cattle rustling and kidnapping, giving fillip to the establishment of the 8th Division of the Army in Sokoto, there is serious accommodation crisis rocking the military.
Recall that because of this review in the ‘Order of Battle,’ the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air force and Nigerian Navy are looking to recruit over 20,000 officers and men in the next few years, though there had been a step up in the number of personnel recruited recently.
Owing to the pressure the recruitment is supposed to bring to bear on the military’s training facilities for instance, the Nigerian Army is set to establish a new depot somewhere in the South-East, similar to the Nigerian Army Depot, Zaria, Kaduna.
Already the accommodation situation is so bad that in the Army, senior officers from the ranks of Lt. Colonels and Colonels are squatting, while others are being paired to share accommodation as a way to cover up the shame.
It is against this backdrop that Vanguard gathered the Defence headquarters has concluded plans to embark on the construction of housing units to cater for 100 officers and soldiers and their families who had been facing accommodation challenges in Abuja and squatting in unbefitting accommodation, which had turned out to be unhealthy and risky to the well being of the personnel.
Confirming the plan to construct the houses in Abuja, Chief of Logistics, Defence Headquarters, Major General Austin Okoh, said the houses, which would be in blocks of flats, would be constructed inside the Mogadishu barracks, pointing out that land for the project had already been set aside.
Speaking on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Abayomi Olonisakin, at the commissioning of upgraded offices, sports facilities and Quarter Guard of the DHQ Garrison, Okoh said: “The issue of shortage of accommodation has always been there but presently, due to the battle against insurgency and other security challenges, the military is getting more men and officers into the services. These personnel need to be accommodated.
“Though it is a big challenge; we are working towards it. Why it may appear slow or as if nothing is being done, is because right now, we are following due process.
‘’Early next year, work will commence and in not too distant future, the accommodation crisis will be addressed because the Chief of Defence staff is seriously concerned about the welfare of soldiers and their families”,
Vanguard investigation further showed that the Nigerian Army is embarking on construction of accommodation for officers and soldiers of the new 6 division in Rivers State.
The Air Force is also embarking on construction of housing accommodation for the new Special operations Command in Bauchi State, while the Navy is embarking on construction of new houses for its personnel at a sight behind Mogadishu Cantonment.
Commander, DHQ Garrison, Brigadier General Hakeem Otiki in his address, noted that the facelift given to the offices and sports facilities at DHQ Garrison was necessitated by the poor and dilapidated condition of facilities, furniture and offices which hitherto were unbefitting of the status of a Garrison office.
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