By Victor Akaa, Abuja
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) has donated two brand new hilux vans to the National Park Service (NPS) to enhance the service performance to stamp out banditry and kidnapping from the parks, reserves and forests across the country.
The COAS made the presentation to the delegation of the NPS led by Conservator General Ibrahim Goni in Abuja.
Represented by the Chief of Standard and Evaluation, Nigerian Army, Major General Okwudili Azinta, the COAS said “the issues of banditry and kidnapping will be reduced to the barest minimum
“our Chief of Army staff is the man of his words, our Chief of Army Staff is a man who recognises that when Security Agencies could partner and work together will achieve a greater results that could impact more positively on the National Security.
“What we have done by this presentation is to assure the National Park Service of Nigeria that we will continue to work with you to stamp out criminal elements who use our parks for their various activities.
“The Chief of Army Staff said I should assure you that all the NA unit sub formations that are waiting the areas where you have parks and foreign reserves have been put on stand by to support you anytime you need them”, he stated.
Buratai promised to continue to support the NPS in staff training and other areas they will call on him.
Receiving the vehicles, the Conservator General of the National Park Service Alhaji Ibrahim Goni who stood in for the Permanent Secretary ministry of environment, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, thanked COAS for the kind gesture.
“No doubt, this gesture is the demonstration of the Nigerian Army commitment under your able leadership to partner with the National Park Services to tackle the current security challenges associated with forest and protected areas in Nigeria.
“I will like to assure you sir ,that the vehicles will be used strictly for patrols to enhance the capacity of park rangers for effective protection and to improve the level of security in the country site.
“it is our fervent prayer that this partnership will be sustained and taken to higher level in order to promote our collective efforts towards making Nigeria safe”,he stressed.
He therefore beckoned on all other security agencies including the Nigerian police, navy and other paramilitary forces to follow suite.
Earlier in his remarks, the Director of procurement in the office of Standards and Evaluation, Nigerian Army ,Major General AO Adetayo said the gesture by the COAS became necessary to help minimise the criminal activities across the national parks ,stating that the parks across the country had become the criminal hideout .
He reiterated that all the reserves in the country will be adequately protected to help get rid of the criminal activities which are hitherto associated With the park.
Recall that in early April this year, the NA in collaboration with the NPS had their maiden seminar aimed at enhancing the synergy and partnership of the both Agencies in it’s better performance in stamping out the criminal activities that are mostly found in the reserves and the forest in the country.
