By Yochuku Ofoka Yobolsa, Editor in Chief
General DH Ali-Keffi, GOC 1 Div Kaduna, has reminded troops of 31 Artillery Brigade, Minna, of the importance of taking proper care of equipment entrusted into their care. General Ali-Keffi said that amid scarce resources and dwelling budgetary allocations in the army, troops must, at all times, remember to handle, with the utmost care, weapons and equipment bought with the taxpayers’ money.
The GOC gave the charge recently during his maiden visit to the Brigade.
He discloses the dangers inherent in neglecting their personal weapons and other items of equipment during operations.
According to him, “Those items were purchased at huge costs by the federal government with the taxpayers’ money.”
He said that insofar as the Nigerian Army is making efforts to procure more hardware, the army would not take it kindly with any officer or soldier who mismanaged any equipment given to him.
During the visit to Minna, the GOC had a closed-door meeting with the Niger State Governor, His Excellency, Dr Abubakar Sani Bello. He also visited the chairman of Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, in his palace in Bida and solicited the Etsu’s continued support for the troops in his kingdom by proffering credible intelligence that would aid troops in their security delivery efforts.
The GOC was escorted by Brigadier General AA Idris, Commander 1 Military Intelligence; Colonel RA Akpata, Commander 1 Div Provost Group; and Colonel ED Idimah, Deputy Director Army Public Relations.
