Daily Independent Online.
*
Thursday, July 01, 2004.
Army to clear
remnant explosives from Ikeja Cantonment
By Chris Agbambu
Deputy
Bureau Chief,
Abuja
The Army is now set to clear all the
remnants of the bomb blast that rocked Ikeja Cantonment two years ago.
Towards this end, the Federal Government
has released the sum of N28 million to purchase all equipment and materials
relevant to the clearance of the debris.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Martin
Luther Agwai, who announced this on Wednesday said that very soon the army will
begin work in the cantonment in collaboration with the other security agencies,
the police, navy and others.
According to him, the work is not a
day’s work and may last between 6 months to one year, as it is a very
painstaking operation that does not need any rushing.
Also Agwai added that rehabilitation works
have commenced on the rehabilitation of the houses in Ikeja cantonment,.
pointing out that the work will be a slow but steady exercise
as army will be involved 90 per cent in the clearing and if there is need to
evacuate those in the barracks, they will do so and after the work they will
return since it is better to be alive in a …… than die in the
house.Agwai said that the army is planning to have a wing at the Command and
Staff College (CSC) Jaji to be in charge of peace keeping, while they have set
in motion a training centre to be located in Kotangora where they can train and
fire live ammunition.
On the medical evacuation of wounded
soldiers in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the army chief disclosed that right now,
the army needs about $2 million to foot the evacuation bill of 60 cases that
are very bad at the moment.
He said that since state governments have
assisted some of their indigenes that are in critical conditions to evacuate
them for medical treatment abroad, adding that it is a continuous exercise that
the army will not relent on its efforts.
Agwai assured that the Nigerian Army has
vowed to provide and enabling environment for peace and development and this
they are ready to do.
He said that the 141 years of existence of
the Nigerian Army which kicks off today in Abuja will be rounded off in Bauchi
on the 5th and 6th of July while President Olusegun Obasanjo will be the guest
of honour on the final day of the celebration.
