The Leader, Army Force Headquarters Recruitment Sensitisation Team, Anambra, Brig.-Gen. Chima Ekeator, says barely 200 youths from the South-East have registered for the present Army recruitment in the country.
Ekeator made the disclosure during a sensitisation event for young leaders and President-Generals (P-Gs) from various communities in the state.
He stated that there was a need to encourage youths from various communities to engage in the activity.
“This sensitisation is necessary because, according to records, only 200 persons have registered from the South-East, while in other states, not less than 4000 persons have registered.
“We are calling on youth leaders and P-Gs to go to their communities to talk to the youths and encourage them to take part in the recruitment.
“Increased youth participation will enhance the representation of the South-East in the force, ensuring that the region’s quota is fully utilised,” Ekeator said.
In a statement, Anambra Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo assured that the government would continue to raise awareness about the activity and encourage youth participation.
Soludo, represented by Commissioner for Youth Development Mr Patrick Aghambah, asked traditional rulers and P-Gs to work together to mobilise 10 youths from each community to join the Army through the ongoing recruitment process.
Mr Tony-Collins Nwabunwanne, Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Community Affairs, stated that the recruiting campaign targeted youths aged 18 to 22 and encouraged them to join the Army.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
