The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.- Gen. Faruk Yahaya, says the Nigerian Army will set the stage for the conduct of a peaceful elections in 2023.
General stated in an interview with journalists in Abuja during the second batch graduation ceremony for trainees of development project for barracks youths organised by Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA) on Thursday.
He said: “Our security situation is improving and we not relenting. The matching by Mr president for us to improve the security situation so that he can hand over a secured nation is what we are carrying out in collaboration Nigerian Air force, Navy and other security agencies.
“And now all hands are on deck couple with equipment and other support provided by Mr president and commitment by the Nigerian Army under my command and other services and the cooperation of the Nigerian people who are providing information which is key in our operations.
“God’s willing, we shall continue to improve the situation and set the stage for the conduct of 2023 election .”
According to him, the training of barracks youths is key to the development of barracks community and the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA) is central to the actualisation of that dream.
“What we have just witnessed today is the graduation of our youths in the barracks. 231 of them were trained on various skills by NAOWA.
“These are males and females who have graduated from secondary schools. Instead of leaving them idle, we decided to empower them so that they become useful to themselves and the society. You know an idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” he said.
Also speaking, the president of NAOWA, Mrs Salamatu F. Yahaya, said the empowerment will reduce crime in the barracks and the society at large.
“I feel very proud, I feel very pleased with myself and the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association. This empowerment will go along way in reducing crime in the barracks community and the society in general because by engaging them you are taking crime off barracks.”
She other well meaning Nigerians and organisations to invest in the youths because they are the leaders of tomorrow.
“There is nothing like human capital development and what we are doing is human capital development. We encourage other well meaning Nigerians and organisations to key into NAOWA’s mission,” she said.