Bayelsa mobilises youths to meet Army’s 750 recruitment quota

The Bayelsa State Government has pledged to mobilise youths across the state to participate in the ongoing 92nd Regular Recruitment Exercise of the Nigerian Army and ensure that the state fills its allocated quota of about 750 recruits.

The state government made the commitment on Wednesday when a delegation of the Nigerian Army, led by the Director of Coordination, Army War College, Abuja, Brigadier-General Ben Ogbuji, visited the Government House, Yenagoa, as part of a sensitisation exercise on the recruitment programme.

Speaking through the Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Akpe, Governor Douye Diri said the state would mobilise government agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders to encourage qualified Bayelsans to take advantage of the recruitment opportunity.

Diri described the recruitment exercise as an employment opportunity for unemployed youths, urging qualified applicants to meet the requirements and participate in the process.

The governor also commended the Nigerian Army for what he described as its increasingly cordial relationship with civilians, noting that improved military-civilian relations had helped to dispel the fear previously associated with interactions between soldiers and members of the public.

He said, “The contemporary Nigerian military or army relations with the people has become very civil. The military has made it so civil; the fear that civilians cannot mix well with military personnel has been dispelled.

“We want to appreciate you on that.”

The governor, however, recalled that some Bayelsan youths who had previously indicated interest in joining the Army eventually withdrew during the recruitment process, while others were disqualified for various reasons.

He said the ongoing sensitisation would help prospective applicants understand the recruitment requirements and avoid mistakes that could lead to disqualification.

Diri urged political, traditional and community leaders to join the campaign to ensure that Bayelsa did not lose its recruitment opportunities to applicants from other states.

He said, “The recruitment is also a form of employment and we are talking about 28,000 potential recruits to be evenly distributed among all the states.

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“With this fresh zeal, all of us in society, political leaders, traditional rulers, community leaders and those in governance should do our bit to ensure our quota is filled, otherwise others will take up our chances again in this recruitment exercise.”

Earlier, Ogbuji said the delegation was in Bayelsa on the directive of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, following concerns that the state had consistently failed to meet its quota in previous Army recruitment exercises.

Ogbuji explained that the sensitisation was designed to educate Bayelsans on the 92nd Regular Recruitment Exercise and correct misconceptions and misinformation believed to be responsible for the low participation of youths from the state.

He said, “Over the years, it has been observed that, unfortunately, the people of Bayelsa State have not been meeting up with their quota as required by the Constitution of Nigeria.

“And that concern has come to the notice of the Chief of Army Staff. So, in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice, he has sent us here to do a sensitisation to educate the people of Bayelsa State about the ongoing recruitment exercise.”

Ogbuji stressed that failure by Bayelsa youths to take up the available slots would not stop the Army from completing its recruitment quota, as the vacancies would eventually be filled by applicants from other states.

He said the COAS wanted Bayelsa youths to take their “rightful place” in the Nigerian Army, adding that the sensitisation was aimed at ensuring that qualified young people in the state were not left behind.

He said, “Because whether the state fills its quota or not, at the end of the day, people from other states fill that quota.

“It is the desire of the COAS that the people of Bayelsa State take their rightful place and that is basically why we are here this morning.”

The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei, was also present during the visit.