Chief of Army Staff COAS, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja has inaugurated 2 COAS Special Intervention Civil- Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Projects at Jen Community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The two projects, sponsored by the office of the COAS are a Sports and Cultural Center, as well as a Multi-Purpose Center named after Major General Boniface Robert Sinjen has standard Basketball and Volleyball courts, a Football pitch, with two pavilions of 500 seating capacity, as well as a Museum and a Conference hall with offices, while the Multipurpose Centre christened after Major General Henry Tafida Wesley both Generals in the Nigeria Army and indigenes of Jen the benefitting Community.
Inaugurating the projects on thursday May 2nd 2024, General Lagbaja lauded the remarkable contributions and dedication of Major Generals Boniface Sinjen and Henry Wesley two sons of Jen community who executed the projects on behalf of the office of Chief of Army Staff COAS as a way of giving back to their community described the duo as industrious senior officers who have earned both local and international admirations in recognition of their unblemished service to the Nigeria Army and the nation who are currently the Chief of Operations Army and Chief of Special Services and Programmes Army respectively.
Lagbaja noted that the projects were initiated in an effort to provide support to communities of 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 Nigeria Army regards all Nigerians as critical partners and expressed the need to sustain the initiative to compliment the efforts of States in providing the needed basic amenities and infrastructure for the people.
“The intervention projects are means of appreciating the benefiting communities from which the senior officers hailed for giving the nation their very best in the Nigeria Army as well as to encourage them to continue to support the service in its efforts to mitigate security challenges” the COAS maintained.
The Army Chief thanked the Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his continuous strategic guidance and invaluable support to Nigeria Army and expressed gratitude to the Taraba State Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas and the good people of the State for their cooperation with the Army and urged them not to relent, especially in providing timely and useful information to the Nigeria Army and other Security Agencies in ensuring a safe and secured environment.
In his remarks, the Chief of Operations, Major General Boniface Sinjen said the project was approved and funded by the COAS to give succour to communities in need adding that these acts of benevolence over the years helped in galvanizing the needed support from citizens as force multipliers for troops combating insecurity in troubled parts of the country.
He stated that the Center is expected to nurture and cultivate athletes, empowering them to represent Jen community, the State and the nation.
The event was attended by Taraba State Governor Dr. Agbu Kefas, top Government functionaries, traditional rulers, 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 serving and retired military and paramilitary officers, amongst others.
