The Nigerian Army has presented houses to 20 wounded in action soldiers in Abuja in continuation of efforts to advance the welfare of its Personnel.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, presented the keys to the beneficiaries on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Nigerian Army Housing Units under the Affordable Home Ownership Option for All Soldiers Scheme.

In his remarks, the CDS charged other services to key into the project and provided housing units to all ratings and airmen.

Musa described the project as a true testament to the untiring efforts of the Late Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, who had continuously advanced the welfare of army personnel.

He commended the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, for continuing with the scheme, ensuring that more houses will be built for interested subscribers.

“The importance of owning a decent shelter in a soldiers’ life cannot be overstated as it promises stability, security and peace of mind, enabling them to focus fully on their duties,” he said.

Musa said the project aligns with the vision of the Renewed Hope Cities and Estate Scheme of the President Bola Tinubu that every citizen deserves a home, adding that the military personnel must not be left out.

He urged the Nigerian army to embark on more projects of this kind in the FCT and other parts of the country, adding that such projects would foster overall development, enhance security and bring socio-economic benefits to the residents.

“Initiatives like this, does not only improve the welfare of personnel but also strengthen the bond between the military and the civilian population.

“By prioritising infrastructure and development, the Nigerian army continues to play a pivotal role in nation building.

“May I at this juncture, recognize and thank the governors of Akwa Ibom and Edo State for allocating land in their states for the scheme.

“I also want to on behalf of the NA solicit all other governors to allocate land to the Nigerian Army to build houses for soldiers as land in Abuja will not be sufficient to build for all the personnel,” he added.

In his remarks, the COAS, Lt.-Gen. Oluyede, said the project was initiated by the late COAS Lt.-Gen. Lagbaja as part of his sound administrations philosophy.

He said that the late army chief believed strongly that soldiers were the bedrock of the army, made soldier the foundation of his command philosophy and prioritised the completion of the project.

Oluyede said the project represented a landmark achievement in service’s ongoing efforts to enhance the welfare and well-being of soldiers and their families.

He said the Idu Abuja phase 1 of the AHOOAS project is a pilot project and it took only 15 months of direct labor to complete.

“The objective is primarily to support the dream of every soldier to acquire suitable and befitting post-service living accommodation in their location of choice from the available site options.

“It is believed that the affordable home ownership option for all soldiers will eventually alleviate the housing challenges of our soldiers.

“The phase one of this project will house 400 subscribers and their families.

“I am committed to driving the process for the immediate completion of the subsequent phases of this development in Idu, Benin City, Ibadon, and Uyo to deliver on our promises to our soldiers,” he said. (NAN)

From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

The Principal and Chief Executive of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta, Dr Samuel Onoji has urged students of the institute to explore the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

Onoji gave the advice recently when the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr and his team paid him a courtesy visit in Effurun.

He said that the gesture would help the students to ease off their financial needs.

“NELFUND is established to provide financial assistance to students nationwide hence the need for our students to take advantage of the opportunity,” Onoji said.

Earlier, Sawyerr told the students that NELFUND, an initiative of the Federal Government, was opened for both new and existing students in the tertiary institutions in the country.

He said that the agency would disburse the money within reasonable days of successful applications.

The managing director explained that the loan amongst others provides financial support to qualified Nigerian students for tuition fees and other charges.

“NELFUND is an intervention agency set up by the Federal Government to support qualified Nigeria students in the tertiary institutions.

“The loan provides financial support to qualified Nigerian students for tuition fees and other charges.

“And for their upkeep during their studies in approved tertiary academic institutions and/or vocational and skills acquisition institutions within Nigeria,” he said.

Sawyerr averred that beneficiaries of the student’s loans may hit an estimated 2.1 million

He added that the body had since inception, disbursed over N104 billion to 613,734 students from Nigerian tertiary institutions.

“We have about 417,000 students who have registered on our portals and about 328,000 who have actually applied.

“Some have been processed, many have been looked at and most of them will get the loan,” he disclosed.

The managing director said that the agency was responsible for students in the government-owned tertiary institutions such as polytechnics where PTI is classified, universities and colleges of education.

According to him, the disbursed funds included institutional fees paid directly to the institutions of applicants and upkeep loans paid directly to the account number provided by the applicants.

He said that the loan scheme was strictly for students in tertiary institutions in line with the building principles and law.

The managing director, however, urged students to take advantage of the opportunities provided by NELFUND to improve their well-being while in school.

By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

A loyalist of Dr. Bukola Saraki and former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Bolaji Abdullahi, has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State.

This was contained in a letter addressed to the chairman of the opposition party in his Ubandawaki Ward of the Ilorin West local government area of the state.

A former Chief Press Secretary to ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki during his days as governor of Kwara State and a close associate of Abdullahi, Mas’ud Adebimpe, confirmed the development in Ilorin

In his resignation letter, Abdullah said that he reached the “difficult decision” after days of reflection and introspection.

“I write to formally resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I have had ample time to reflect and I have come to the difficult conclusion that this is the only tenable option for me at this time,” the letter read in part.

“Mr. Chairman, please permit me to express, through you, my gratitude to the leadership of the party for the opportunities that I have had to serve the state and the country on its platform and for the great moments we have shared,” he said.

Speaking on the development, the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olusola Adewara, described Abdullahi’s resignation from the party as personal.

“We wish the former minister well in his adventures. The decision is personal to him as it is reflected in his letter of resignation and he didn’t state whether the party or our leader offended him in person. So, there’s no ill feeling.

“He chose to come to politics without getting permission from anybody, and if he’s leaving based on his conviction without throwing tantrums at anyone, the party can only wish him good luck in his adventure,” Adewara said.