Former Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor, rtd, has highlighted the implications of the expansion of army divisions.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’ on Wednesday, Irabor stressed the need for proper scaling up of existing divisions in terms of personnel, equipment and logistics.
He also highlighted the importance of president Bola Tinubu’s awareness of the military’s shortcomings and the need for comprehensive improvements.
The ex-CDS applauded the president’s plan to recruit 28,000 personnel, acknowledging that it is a substantial addition to the military strength.
“Expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight divisions to twelve divisions is the right step in the right direction.
“However, there are a good number of things that need to be done. It’s quite heartwarming to know that the Commander-in-Chief himself is right well abreast of the shortcomings of the military.
“If he’s starting with the army, perhaps that’s a good step. I believe that the Navy and the Air Force will be part of the efforts. Now let me say that increasing from eight divisions to 12 divisions has a lot of implications.
“First, the existing eight divisions must be properly brought up to scale in terms of personnel, equipment, logistics, and so on and so forth. I believe that the details of all that might not necessarily be for public consumption, but I want to believe that the president is well aware of the implications of all that.
“But beyond that, I like to also commend the fact that the president has indicated that 28,000 soldiers will be recruited, which is barely a little over a division in terms of strength.
“But of course, it’s also good to start from somewhere, meaning that a lot has to go into accommodation for the troops,” he said.
Ex-CDS, Irabor highlights implications of army divisions expansion