Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Monday reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthen existing cordial relationships between personnel of the Armed Forces and civilians in the state.

He also commended their efforts – alongside other sister agencies – to protect the national territorial integrity and check criminality and keep the state peaceful.

AbdulRazaq spoke at the colourful 2021 edition of the Nigerian Army/West Africa Social Activities (WASA), organized by 22 Armoured Brigade Sobi in conjunction with the Army Institute of Science and Education Technology in Sobi, Ilorin.

“I commend all officers and men of the Nigerian Army for standing firm for national peace, unity, and defending the integrity of our national boundaries, and your patriotic roles in maintaining very cordial civil-military relations in Nigeria and especially in Kwara State,” he said.

“Rest assured that our administration remains committed to promotion of that existing relationship between the civil populace and the 22 Brigade/ Nigerian Army Institute of Science and Education Technology.”

AbdulRazaq acknowledged the vital roles of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to promote peace and national unity, especially in Kwara State where they are part of the internal security architecture called Operation Harmony.

“We send our profound gratitude to 22 Brigade for your support for the civil authority and collaboration with sister security agencies to make Kwara a safe place. Your contributions to our Operation Harmony are enormous. We truly appreciate this,” he added.

“Similarly, I join Mr. President and the people of Nigeria to commend the military institutions for their unending and professional efforts to keep the country peaceful and united. I urge you to keep this up.

“I assure you of our continuous support and cooperation as the host state. We will always consider the army barracks and cantonments as an integral part of our constituency.”

Commandant 22 Armoured Brigade, Brigadier General Abdulsalam Abubakar, for his part, said the event was an annual gathering to celebrate army personnel and their family members through their diverse sociocultural backgrounds.

He recalled that the West African Social Activities (WASA) dated back to the colonial era Royal West African Frontier Force, when various communities requested for the release of their enlisted sons to participate in their yearly cultural festivals.

“WASA affords us the opportunity to appraise our performance in any given year. This includes our approach to training, operations and administration in our areas of responsibility,” Abubakar said.

“It also impacts on keeping focus with the COAS’ vision of having a professional Nigerian Army ready to accomplish assigned missions within a joint environment in defence of Nigeria.”

Brig. Gen. Abubakar, who commended AbdulRazaq for his unwavering support to the Army and the entire security agencies in the state, listed some of the security operations in which the Brigade participates to include Operation HARMONY; Operation GEKA PEMA and PARK STRIKE in Baruten and Kaiama LGAs of the state; and Operation SWIFT RESPONSE, a Joint Border Drill Operation with NCS in Northern Kwara State, amongst others.

The Brigade has also established Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Karunji in Baruten LGA and Babana in Borgu LGA (Niger) that complement operations in various states, following approval by the COAS, he added, saying these efforts have contributed positively to the relative peace in Kwara State within 22 Brigade’s area of operations.

•PHOTO: L-R; Alangua Opolo Alhaji Zuluqorinaini Abdulraheem; Mrs Fatimah Bello Tsoho; Commandant Nigerian Army Institute of Science Education and Technology Major General Bello Tsoho; Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; and Commandant 22 Armoured Brigade; Brigadier General Abdulsalam Abubakar; during West African Social Activities (WASA) 2021 at Sobi Cantonment, Ilorin, on Monday.

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