The Nigerian Army has called on old students of Command Secondary Schools across the country to contribute towards the development of their alma maters.
Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, who made the appeal at the grand reunion of the Command Secondary School Jos Old Students’ Association (COJOSA), stated that the current security challenge in the country has affected other activities of the military, including human capital and infrastructural development.
Buratai, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Major General Enebong Udoh said: “The past decade has confronted us with a myriad of security challenges. Combating these security challenges and attending to other pressing problems come with huge budgetary demands which cannot be satisfied owing to other equally important competing sectors of our nation’s economy.
“It is in the light of this that the Nigerian Army welcomes initiatives that could generate revenue to undertake some pressing financial obligations.”
While commending COJOSA for the initiatives put in place to better the school and the students, he said he stated some interventions in Command Secondary School Kaduna and Lagos and soon similar interventions would be undertaken in those of Jos and Ibadan.
In his remarks, the President of the association, Mr. Ademola Kasumu, stated that six months into his administration as president, he has made significant progress on all his three pronged pledge of “development of our alma mater; welfare of our members; and branding.”
He stated that he has commissioned emissaries on physical visits to the school and the outcome showed that the school is in bad shape and in dire need of urgent attention.
Kasumu said henceforth the association will no longer encourage uncoordinated developmental give backs by sets and chapters, which in the past had led to duplication of efforts and the focus of attention on one area of challenge to the school to the detriment of other urgent needs.
