Young Nigerians Lament Over Nepotism In Army Recruitment

By Daudu H. Emmanuel, LOKOJA/

The ongoing recruitment exercise into the Nigerian Army has been described another poor handling of national issues by the country’s Army Authority. Allegations of nepotism, favoritism and discrimination were said to dominate the yet to be concluded recruitment exercise.

In view of the alarm raised by the Bassa people of Bassa local government Area of Kogi state who told SEECURITY MONITOR that they were practically rejected by the Army officials after completing the rigorous screening which lasted for a week. According to the disgruntled applicants, “we were informed to go back home after series of rigorous test”.

A total number of 154 young boys from Bassa ethnic group participated in the ongoing Army recruitment exercise. After the one week screening exercise SECURITY MONITOR gathers that all of them “were on Monday informed to go home on an account that their blood was not standard enough to have a place in the Nigeria Army”.

An applicant, who don’t want to be named disclosed this in Lokoja, lamenting that “All of us from Bassa area of Kogi state were asked to go home that our blood was not okay enough to be recruited in the Army. This was after all the 154 able youths from of our local government endured weeklong series of tests and exercises”

The young boys who were apparently wondering why all of them from the same Local Government would be disqualified on such excuse vow to make their plight known to leaders of their ethnic group. They argued that since they were not born of the same father, all of them could not have failed the blood test. “We want all Nigerians to know that this is nothing but pure discrimination against us and people should please come to our aid. It’s not fair. How could the entire people of an ethnic group be denied this opportunity? Nigeria belongs to all of us, as such justice should prevail”.

But earlier before now, the Nigeria Army spokesperson Brig.Gen. J.T.E Chukwu debunked such involvement of the Nigeria Army, stating that the ongoing recruitment cut across the entire 774 local governments in Nigeria. The army spokesman said this while reacting to similar situation in Taraba state.