By Augustine Ehikioya
With the introduction and implementation of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede’s “Soldier-First” Mantra in Enugu State, things have never remained the same in the Coal City State.
The security situation in the State, which is an essential ingredient for development, is now improving.
These were the position of the Garrison Commander, 82 Division, Enugu State, Brigadier General Stephen Dogo.
He spoke in an exclusive interview with the Security Watch Africa crew in Enugu State.
The security achievements recorded so far in the State, he noted, were also boosted by the support, good working relationship with the State government, and improved synergy with other security agencies in the State.
He said, “Enugu State is a very peaceful State at the moment. The general security situation in Enugu State is calm but unpredictable.
“The security of Enugu State falls on the 82 Division, which I command. The State has 17 Local Government Areas, and there is also a battalion too, 103 Battalion. The Commander 82 Division Garrison is covering 11 out of the 17 local government areas, while the battalion covers six local government.
According to him, the usual Mondays sit-at-home no longer stop the people from going about their businesses.
This, he said, has indirectly been improving the economic outlook of the State.
“Enugu State is peaceful, and that’s why you notice even the usually Mondays sit-at-home exercise, could not hold anymore, people are going about their normal businesses, and the economic situation has improved greatly.
“So I can confidently tell you that Enugu State is, is now the most peaceful State in the entire South East region,” the Garrison Commander stated.
Speaking on the implementation of the COAS Soldier-First mantra, he said the State is following and implementing it to the letter.
“You know the Chief of Army Staff’s Soldier-First mantra is actually one that we hold dear to our hearts in 82 Division as a whole, and following the General Officer Commanding’s Command direction.
“You know, one of the tenets of the mantra is sound administration. And if you look at sound administration, it goes to tell you that we do everything within the reach of our powers to see that to the fullest and to the letter.
“And that’s why you see the Chief of Army Staff has improved the Ration Cash Allowance of soldiers from 1500 to 3000 Naira per soldier, and this is being fully implemented also, you know, issues of Leave and Passes are also catered for.
“And the General Officer Commanding also directed that we come up with what we call a Leave and Pass roster, where we make sure that these soldiers enjoy this benefit.
“Also, there’s what we call the reward and sanction system, where soldiers who erred are disciplined, while those who exhibit courage and perform well are also granted some rewards to boost their moral and fighting efficiency.”
The Division, he added, is not taking the issue of soldiers training lightly as it is embarking on it round the clock.
“This we do to make sure that we attain the Chief of Army Staff’s Command Philosophy. I’m sure you must have seen in the training shades on your way to this office that soldiers are undergoing training, and that’s why you see the Division training school.
“If you go there now, you will see over 200 soldiers that are currently being trained. This we do across the entire Division to make sure that soldiers are up to speed, and they know exactly what is expected of them at any point in time.”
The Garrison Commander went on, “This training is one we’ll continue to do round the clock to achieve the Forecast of Event, as presented to the Division from Army Headquarters.
“We have programmes outlined of what we set out to achieve following some key performance index that we have outlined for them to achieve. This we do regularly and continuously, ” he stated.
He also maintained that the relationship between the Garrison and the people is very cordial.
The past wrong perception surrounding the Army’s presence in the South East, he said, is no longer there.
“In time past, you know, there was some perception that the military are out to kill the people of the South East, but that is very wrong. As I speak to you, the relationship is very, very cordial.”
On relationship with the State and others, he said, “It’s been a wonderful working relationship between the Garrison, the two division and the State.
“I don’t think we have any issue as regards our relationship with them, and not just the State, including the other security agencies, the level of synergy, cooperation and collaboration is top notch, and that, by extension, tells you why Enugu State is the safest State in the Southeast region.
“For me, as the Commander 82 Division Garrison, I’m the one who interfaces with the State government on behalf of the 82 Division, and it has been a wonderful working relationship, and we hope to maintain and sustain such relationship going forward.
“I can tell you, the relationship has helped us to achieve many successes and wonderful achievements,” he added.
