By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt General Olufemi Oluyede, has commended officers and men of the Nigerian Army’s 16 Brigade in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, for their role in sustaining Nigeria’s rising crude oil output.
Oluyede, who made the commendation during an operational visit to the Brigade headquarters on Monday, praised the leadership of the Brigade Commander and Sector 2 Commander of Operation Delta Safe, Brigadier General Olufemi Obolo, describing him as a competent officer delivering positive results.
The COAS also lauded the Bayelsa State Government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), for supporting military operations in the region through the provision of infrastructure.
He commissioned several projects, including a detention facility annexe, a 300KVA electrification project by the NDDC, and a garrison house donated by the Garrison Commander, Lt Col Mohammed Sheriff Kaigama.
Addressing journalists, Oluyede expressed satisfaction with the troops’ performance, noting that their efforts have been instrumental in stabilizing oil production and raising national output to over two million barrels per day.
He stressed that competent leadership and community support remain crucial to achieving national security and economic stability.
The COAS further inspected ongoing construction projects supported by the Bayelsa State Government within the Brigade premises.
Emphasizing the importance of civil-military relations, he said: “The Nigerian Army belongs to Nigerians. The more they support us, the more we’ll be able to do our job better.”
Also speaking, NDDC’s Director of Projects, Hon. Victor Antai, highlighted the commission’s interventions, which include three substations, nine electric poles fitted with 500-watt streetlights, a solar grid, and solar-powered streetlights for the Brigade.
Earlier, Lt General Oluyede was received with a guard of honour by Brigadier General Obolo on arrival at the Brigade headquarters.
