Ibadan (Nigeria): The Nigerian Army has expressed concern over the low number of applicants from the South-West region, urging the people of the area to reconsider and apply for the profession.
The Team Lead, Army Headquarters Recruitment team, Brig.-Gen. Adeleye Lawal stated this on Tuesday in Ibadan during the Nigerian Army sensitisation on the Army recruitment exercise.
Lawal stated that approximately 2,070 applicants from the South-West region have applied since the army recruitment portal opened on Oct. 2, with Oyo State having the highest number at 544 applicants.
He stated that the Nigerian Army had observed a decline in applicants from the South West region, which was significantly lower than the number from other parts of the country.
According to him, about 14,000 applicants had applied from the North-West since the exercise began, 13,000 from the North-East, 10,000 from the North-Central, and 1,000 from the South-East.
He stated that each state in Nigeria has been allocated 180 slots in the ongoing Army recruitment exercise, emphasising that any region that fails to fill its quota will have the remaining slots allocated to other states.
Lawal said that joining the military didn’t amount to signing one’s death warrant, saying people die in their houses and on the road while travelling.
“Death is part of life, and we are not saying come and join the military and die. Many people have joined the Army and achieved more success than they initially expected.
“The Army makes people the best they can be and increases their exposure. As a Soldier in the military, you can become a doctor, pharmacist and even a driver, if that is your wish,” he said.
Lawal, while disabusing the minds of the people of suffering in the Nigerian Army, said nothing comes easy in life, adding that the system has a way of paying back those who work tirelessly for the profession.
He appealed to those who have what it takes to apply to join the Nigerian Army, assuring that the standard would not be lower for anyone and would be merit-based.
Lawal urged those applying for the profession to ensure they are Nigerians, don’t have any criminal records, and are physically and medically fit, among others.
Also speaking, the Executive Assistant to Gov. Seyi Makinde on Security Matters, retired Commissioner of Police, Sunday Odukoya, urged the people of Oyo State to apply to join the Nigerian Army in order not to waste the slot of the state.
Odukoya urged the people to change their orientation about the military and disseminate the message to the youths on the reasons they should join the military.
