IT was jubilation galore as soldiers of the 13 Brigade headquarters in Calabar were allocated modern and befitting accommodation.
This is even as they celebrated the demolition of the shanties in the barracks, popularly known as “Batchers.”
The soldiers, many of whom had lived in the shanties for years, went wild with joy when the Brigade Commander, Brig. Gen. Bulama Biu handed them the keys to their one-bedroom apartments.
Speaking shortly after allocating the flats to over twenty two soldiers of the rank of Corporal, Bulama said the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Burutai had, on the 24th of November last year, commissioned about thirty two blocks of flat because, according to him, the shanties were an eyesore in the barracks.
“You must all thank the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Burutai for making sure that new buildings emerged from the shanties which had been standing here since 1912 when this barracks was established. This new accommodation is a show of determination and commitment to change the story of soldiers who have been yearning for this moment for years,” he said.
and then