The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) on Thursday 2 May 2024 Commissioned the Chief of Army Staff ( COAS) Special Intervention Civil – Military Cooperation Projects at jen community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The two projects, sponsored by the office of the Chief of Army Staff are Sports and Cultural Centre, as well as a Multi – Purpose Centre. The Sports and Cultural Centre named after Major General Boniface Robert Sinjen has Standard Basketball and Volleyball Courts, a Football pitch, with two pavilion of 500 seating capacity as well as a Museum and Conference hall with offices, while the Multi – Purpose Centre was christened after Major General Henry Tafida Wesley.
General Taoreed Lagbaja in a statement issued and signed by the Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, while he commissioned the projects lauded the remarkable contributions and dedication of Major General Boniface Robert Sinjen and Henry Tafida Wesley, the two sons of Jen Community who executed the projects as way of giving back to their community. He described the duo as industrious senior officers, who have earned both local and international admirations in recognition of their unblemished service to the Nigerian Army and the nation in general.
The Senior Officers are currently the Chief of Operations ( Army) and Chief of Special Services and Programmes (Army) respectively.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) further clarified that the projects were initiated in an effort to provide support to Communities or Nigerian Army Senior Officers’ who through dedication to duty and service to the nation, have risen to the privileged rank of Major General, adding that the Nigerian Army sees Nigerians as critical partners, hence the need to sustain the initiative and compliment the state in providing top – notch basic amenities and infrastructure for Nigerian communities.
The Army Chief emphasised that the intervention projects are means of appreciating the benefiting communities from which the senior officers hail, for giving the nation their very best to serve in the Nigerian Army, as well as to continue to support the service in its endeavour to mitigate security challenges.
The Army Boss thanked the Commander – In – Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his continuous strategic and invaluable support to the Nigerian Army. General Lagbaja also expressed gratitude to the Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas and the good people of the state for their cooperation with the Nigerian Army and urged them not to relent, especially in providing timely and useful information to the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in ensuring a safe and secured environment.
Speaking also at the Commissioning, Chief of Operations, Major General Boniface Robert Sinjen, who the Sports and Cultural Centre was named after, stated that the projects is part of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Special Intervention Civil – Military Cooperation Project, approved and funded by Chief of Army Staff to give succour to Communities in need. He disclosed, that these acts of benevolence over years, have helped galvanised the needed support from citizens, as force multipliers for troops combating insecurity in troubled parts of Country.
He noted that the centre is expected to nurture and cultivate athletes, empowering them to represent Jen communities, the state and the nation.
The event was attended by Taraba State Government functionaries and traditional leaders, the President Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association ( NAOWA) Mrs Mariya Lagbaja and members of the Association, Principal Staff Officers from the Defence and Army Headquarters, senior and retired military and paramilitary officers, amongst several others.
