The House of Representatives on Thursday called for the immediate completion of the long-abandoned Armed Forces Nigeria Physical and Health School and Games Village in Esa-Oke, Osun State, conceived by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Defence to enhance the fitness and combat readiness of Nigerian troops.
This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Oluwole Oke, Obokun/ Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State at the Plenary session presided over by the Speaker Rep Abbas Tajudeen
While moving the motion, Hon Oke lamented that despite budgetary allocations since 2008, the project had remained largely abandoned, denying the Armed Forces and surrounding communities the benefits intended from the initiative.
The Lawmaker noted that the institution, modelled after the United States Army Physical Training School in South Carolina, was designed to provide state-of-the-art training facilities to improve the physical and mental preparedness of military personnel. He added that its establishment was also expected to create employment, promote security, and engage the youth population in Esa-Oke and surrounding communities in Osun and Ekiti states.
Hon Oke expressed concern that the stalled project has now degenerated into a hideout for criminals, posing a serious security threat to residents of the host communities. He warned that the failure to complete the facility was detrimental to the physical conditioning of Nigerian troops and undermines the nation’s security architecture.
According to him, “the poor and derelict state of the school has turned it into an abode for criminals, inflicting pain and losses on the good people of Osun and Ekiti States. Urgent intervention is required to complete the project, as further delay will worsen the situation,”
While adopting the motion, the House urged the Chief of Defence Staff to immediately deploy personnel to secure the project site and begin preliminary activities. It also called on the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Finance to release funds provided for the project in the current budget.
Furthermore, the lawmakers mandated the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Budget Office of the Federation, and the National Planning Commission to make adequate provisions for the project in the 2026 budget estimates.
The House also directed its Committees on Defence and Legislative Compliance to investigate why previous budgetary allocations for the project were not implemented and to report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
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