The Presidential, National Assembly and State House of Assembly Campaign Council in Edo State, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to establish the Nigerian Army’s 83 Division headquarters in Benin City is one of the reasons Edo people will reelect him next year.
Director of Media of the campaign council, Mr John Mayaki, who hailed Governor Monday Okpebholo for accelerating preparations for the take-off of the Division, said Edo people understand the strategic value of the military formation and the significance of the cooperation between the Federal and state governments.
President Tinubu approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions, including the establishment of the 83 Division in Benin City, with responsibility for Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states. The Presidency said the restructuring was intended to improve command and control, decentralise operational decision-making and enable faster responses to emerging security threats.
Mayaki said: ‘When some people ask what President Tinubu has done that directly affects our state, the 83 Division is one concrete example we should put on the table.
‘This is not merely another military barracks. We are talking about a major Army command headquartered in Benin City and covering Edo, Delta and Bayelsa.
‘For a state confronting kidnapping and other security challenges, the significance of strengthening military command, coordination and response capacity should not be underestimated.’
Mayaki thanked Tinubu for the decision, saying Edo should not take the establishment of the Division for granted.
He also praised Okpebholo for what he described as the governor’s determination to ensure that the presidential approval was translated into an operational military formation.
The Edo government provided a temporary facility at Teboga in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, where rehabilitation of existing structures, environmental clearing and other preparatory works have been undertaken.
During an earlier inspection, Okpebholo gave contractors two weeks to prepare the facilities, while the Commander of 4 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Balogun, said the work was in furtherance of Tinubu’s directive for the operationalisation of the Division.
Mayaki said: ‘I commend Governor Okpebholo because he understands that presidential approval must be followed by state preparedness.
‘Mr President has made the strategic decision. Governor Okpebholo is providing the enabling environment to ensure that Edo takes full advantage of it.
‘The governor is not sitting in Government House celebrating an announcement. He is going to the site, inspecting the work and pushing for the facilities to be ready.
‘That is the kind of Federal-State partnership that Edo needs.’
Mayaki said the interest shown by Delta State in hosting the headquarters should further encourage Edo people to appreciate its strategic importance.
Delta Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has appealed to Tinubu and the Nigerian Army to locate the headquarters in Delta, arguing that his state was strategically positioned to host it and offering land, temporary facilities and other support.
Mayaki said Delta should not be criticised for advocating for its interests, adding that Edo people should instead learn from the seriousness with which its neighbour was pursuing the military formation.
He said: ‘I do not quarrel with the Governor of Delta State. He is fighting for what he believes will benefit his people. That is what governors are expected to do.
‘But Edo people should ask themselves a simple question: if this Division is insignificant, why does another state want its headquarters? Why is it prepared to provide land, facilities and other support?
‘The answer should make us appreciate the strategic value of what has been designated for Edo.
‘Sometimes, you understand the value of what you have when you see how determined somebody else is to have it.
‘What others consider important enough to compete for, Edo should not take for granted.’
Mayaki said the establishment of the Division should also be viewed from the perspective of ordinary Edo residents rather than merely as a military administrative arrangement.
According to him, security affects farmers, traders, transporters, investors and rural communities and remains fundamental to economic development.
He said: ‘A farmer who cannot safely reach his farm cannot produce. A transporter who is afraid of the highway cannot efficiently move people and goods. Investors will naturally consider the security of an environment before committing their resources.
‘No one should pretend that one Army Division will solve every security problem. But stronger military coordination and quicker response to threats are among the objectives the Federal Government has given for creating the additional divisions.’
Mayaki said the development provided another issue on which Edo voters could assess the relationship between the Tinubu administration and the Okpebholo government.
He added: ‘Our campaign will not ask Edo people to make political judgments on slogans alone. We will put the record before them.
‘When people ask what President Tinubu has done for Edo, we will point to decisions such as this and explain what they mean.
‘When they ask what Governor Okpebholo is doing with the opportunity, we will show them Teboga and the work being done to make the Division operational.
‘Then the people can make their judgment on the evidence.
‘For us, the principle is straightforward: what comes to Edo must be understood; what is approved for Edo must be followed through; and what can strengthen the security and economy of Edo must be translated from an announcement into something that works for our people.
‘We thank President Tinubu for the decision to establish the 83 Division in Benin City. We commend Governor Okpebholo for moving to ensure its take-off.
‘These are among the concrete issues we will place before Edo people as they assess the record of the President and the partnership between Abuja and Benin ahead of 2027.’