Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has commended the outgoing Commander of the Nigerian Army 14 Brigade, Ohafia, Brigadier General Olusola Diya, for his tireless efforts in maintaining peace and security in the State.
Speaking during the official introduction of the new Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Hassan Muhammad Bello who was recently posted to Abia, Governor Otti praised Brigadier General Diya for his exemplary service, describing his tenure as impactful and dedicated.
He said that Brigadier Diya leaves behind an excellent record of performance and urged his successor to build on what the outgoing Brigadier General has done to ensure a peaceful Abia.
“I must put on record, his (Diya’s) service to the State in the last one year, but it feels like he has spent two years because of the level of activities he has championed“, Gov Otti said.
The Governor who expressed surprise at Brigadier General Diya’s transfer, noted that although his departure was inevitable, it came sooner than expected and reassured the outgoing Commander that he remains part of the Abia family.
Governor Otti emphasized the importance of security in his administration’s agenda, and urged the new Brigade Commander to introduce innovative strategies in combating crime.
“I want to challenge you to continue to think of new ways. Where we are now, we are introducing technology into crime fighting. You will get to be acquainted with the details in due course“, the Governor charged.
He further charged the new Commander to surpass the achievements of his predecessor, noting that security remains a top priority for his administration.
“You have to surpass his (Diya’s) record and I can tell you without any fear of contradiction that he is leaving behind an excellent record of performance. We have worked closely on the security architecture of the state.
“We are not sparing any effort in ensuring that this place remains safe and the truth is that top priority for us as a government is security and we believe if we cannot guarantee some reasonable level of security here every other thing we are doing would pay little significance.
“So that is why we don’t spare any efforts whenever we are dealing with security issues,” Gov. Otti stated.
Earlier while introducing the new Brigade Commander to the Governor, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security matters Navy Commander MacDonald Ubah Rtd, reiterated the Governor’s commitment to security, describing it as the bedrock of any thriving society.
He thanked the Governor for providing security agencies in the state with all that is needed towards achieving a peaceful and secured state and acknowledged Brigadier General Diya’s contributions, expressing confidence that his successor would build upon them.
In his farewell remarks, Brigadier General Diya expressed gratitude to Governor Otti and the people of Abia for their support, stating that the state had become like family to him.
He assured that his successor would build on the existing security framework and even exceed his own achievements.
Also speaking, the new Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Hassan Muhammed Bello, who expressed delight at his posting to Abia, promised to work with other security agencies to sustain and improve on the gains of his predecessor as well as support the vision of Governor Otti in making Abia the most peaceful and secured state in Nigeria.
