The Nigerian Army has called on youths in Abia and other South-East states to heed the national call to service by enlisting in the military.
The appeal was made on Thursday in Umuahia during the first awareness campaign organised by the Department of Civil-Military Affairs of the Nigerian Army for youths, traditional rulers and civil society groups.
Delivering a lecture at the event, retired Major General Gold Chibuisi urged South-East youths to stop shunning military service and explore the career opportunities the Army offers in fields such as medicine, law, engineering and other professions.
He dismissed fears of ethnic profiling within the military and refuted claims that soldiers from certain regions are deliberately deployed to the most dangerous battlefronts.
Chibuisi assured potential recruits that their welfare and promotions would not be denied, urging parents to support their children who wish to join the Army.
Also speaking, retired Major General Chukwunedum Abraham expressed concern over the low number of applicants from the region during the last recruitment exercise.
According to him, “the figure from the last Army recruitment in Nigeria showed that Imo State recorded only 671 applicants while 428 persons from Ebonyi State applied,” adding that the numbers were far lower than those recorded in other geopolitical zones.
The Chief of Civil-Military Affairs, Major General Musa Awwal Etsu-Ndagi, said the programme was organised to educate young people and opinion leaders about opportunities in the Army while addressing misconceptions about the force.
