Okowa lauds army for interagency cooperation in Delta

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has commended the Nigerian Army for its cooperation with other security agencies in tackling security challenges in the state.

Okowa gave the commendation during the inauguration of 63 Brigade Headquarters Complex in Asaba on Monday, March 4, 2020.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

Okowa also commended the army corps of engineers for their efforts at transforming the Brigade Headquarters.

He also urged the army and other security agencies to intensify efforts in resolving occasional disputes between farmers and herders across the state.

While appreciating the Chief of Army Staff for bringing the Brigade to Delta, Okowa said the state was hitherto supervised by the Brigade in Benin.

According to him, the state government has had a very warm relationship with your officers and men here and that of the 6 division.

"As a state we take security matters very seriously even as we meet twice a month to proactively deliberate on security matters.

"Your officers have cooperated with other sister security agencies and that has helped us in achieving the needed inter agency cooperation and the peace we enjoy in the state.

"Delta is peaceful today, though we have had few incidences that make us sad but with all hands on deck, we will surmount all security challenges.

"We will continue to support the army and other security agencies in the state as much as our finances can carry.

"We still have security challenges such as farmers-herders clashes and kidnapping which obviously is going down.

"We still have a lot of work to do even though we are already working hard and we do hope that the cooperation we have in the past will continue," he said.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Tukur Buratai, said the establishment of the brigade was well thought out in view of the strategic role of the state in Nigerian economy.

Buratai commended the governor for the donation of the brigade headquarters to the army.

He added that the establishment facility was the first critical step in the full operationalisation of the brigade.

"I am aware of the critical support of the government and people of Delta to the success of this brigade and such support has engendered very good civil-military relations in the state.

"Your donation and funding of this headquarters has shown that there is good understanding of the roles of security to the development of any state, It further shows the correlation between security and development," he said.

Buratai also commended the government for the provision of vehicles to the brigade, assuring that the army would continue to reciprocate the kind gestures by ensuring more commitment and adequate security of the state.