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Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has said the establishment of a Air Defence Regiment of the 83 Division of the Nigerian Army in the state will strengthen security, protect critical national assets and accelerate development.
Oborevwori stated this on Thursday during an inspection of facilities and ongoing works for the establishment of the Air Defence unit of the Nigerian Army in the state.
The governor, who was accompanied by the Chief of Standards and Evaluation, Nigerian Army, Major General Thompson Ugiagbe, and Commander, 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Ibrahim Buhari, said the state government was committed to providing the necessary support for the military and other security agencies.
He said the newly created 83 Division, comprising Delta, Edo and Bayelsa states, would significantly enhance the capacity of the Nigerian Army to respond to security threats across the three states.
According to him, the division comes with several component units, including an Air Defence unit, whose establishment in Delta became necessary because of the strategic location of the state and its proximity to the airport.
Oborevwori said the state had provided land for a temporary facility for the Air Defence unit while arrangements were being made for its permanent site.
He disclosed that the first batch of between 300 and 400 military personnel was expected to arrive in the state within the next few weeks.
“We need to support the security agencies because without security, there cannot be development,” the governor said.
He added that the improved security architecture in Delta had contributed to the reduction of incidents of armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.
Oborevwori said the presence of the new military formation would also help to protect critical national assets, particularly oil and gas infrastructure in the state.
“The most important benefit is to secure national assets and the people. That is the truth. If you don't have all these security formations here, you know how it will be,” he said.
The governor commended the Nigerian Army and other security agencies for their efforts in maintaining peace and protecting lives and property in the state.
He said his administration would continue to collaborate with security agencies, noting that the partnership had contributed to the growing confidence of residents, investors and businesses in Delta.
Oborevwori also recalled his recent visit to the Trans-Forcados pipeline area, where he said residents were happy with the improved security situation.
He said the state government was working with the military and other stakeholders to ensure that the required facilities were provided for the new formation.
The governor directed the Commissioners for Housing and Lands to commence the necessary assessment and scoping of the temporary site, including existing structures that would require attention.
He said the state government was ready to play its part to ensure that the Air Defence unit commenced operations within the expected timeframe.
Oborevwori stressed that security remained a major pillar of his administration's development agenda, maintaining that no meaningful economic or infrastructural development could be sustained without peace and stability.
He said the establishment of the 83 Division and its component units would, therefore, further strengthen Delta's security architecture while enhancing the protection of lives, property and critical national assets.
The governor urged the military and other security agencies to sustain their cooperation with the state government and other stakeholders in the collective interest of Deltans and the nation.
