Army Chief, Gen Yahaya harps on the Unique Position of RSMs a
illars
Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Faruk Yahaya has disclosed that the policy of reinvigorating the provision of official accommodation and staff vehicle for Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSM) in all military formations, Divisions and Units is aimed at re-establishing the pride of place of the RSM and senior NCO’s in the system.
The COAS said, “The gesture is to enhance Command and Control, Regimentation and Discipline as well as improve self-confidence of soldiers.
Gen. Yahaya spoke at the inauguration of the official residence of Army Headquarters’ Garrison RSM at the Mogadishu Barracks Abuja on Tuesday even as he noted that the Regimental Sergeant Major in the Army occupies a very unique place in the hierarchy and scheme in the service. The RSM is the father of the Unit. That means he is the custodian of the customs and traditions of regimentation of every army formation”.
“He is the bridge. Issues concerning soldier’s welfare, their administration and complaints are taken to him. He is one of the channels of communication to the Commanders. So he occupies a very special place along with other senior NCOs. So the RSM is the head of the bridge between the officers and the soldiers. That is why I want to ensure a befitting accommodation and provision of official vehicle for every RSM that he will use to perform his duties effectively” the COAS said.
Earlier, the Commander, Army Headquarters’ Garrison, Major Gen. Kabir Garba commended the COAS for his untiring efforts towards ensuring the welfare of army personnel and motivation of troops.
Speaking after receiving the keys to the apartment, the RSM of AHQ Garrison, Master Warrant Officer, Garuba Mohammed Sani thanked the Chief of Army Staff for his vision and provision of adequate resources for the building of the official residence and staff vehicle adding “My prayer and hope is that these legacies you have established will be built upon and sustained.”
In another development, the Commander, Infantry Corps, Nigerian Army, Major General Victor Ezugwu has called on personnel of the Nigerian Army to imbibe the 4 cardinal pillars of the COAS’ vision which are Professionalism, Readiness, Sound administration and Cooperation in order to overcome adversaries in operations.
Speaking as the SGOH at the ‘Sensitization Workshop on Upholding the Traditional Ethics of the NA and Promoting Professionalism & Social Responsibility of the Nigerian Soldier’ at the Command Officers Mess, Gen Ezugwu said, “The Nigerian Army today is faced with the challenges of confronting multi-faceted and multi-dimensional threats to the National security of our dear country.
“To this end, our indefatigable Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Farouk Yahaya upon assumption of duty came up with a well-conceived vision of having a “Professional Nigerian Army Ready to Accomplish Assigned Missions’ within a Joint Environment in Defence of Nigeria”.
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“The vision of the COAS has ensured that troops are inculcated with the spirit of Readiness, Duty to country, Capacity and leadership at all times. There is no doubt that having the common understanding of where we are as an Army, what is expected of us and where we are heading to, is very crucial to professionally defeating real and perceived threats by having events such as this which seeks to educate troops on their core competences as soldiers.
Continuing he said, “The Infantry Corps under my watch has resolved to religiously promote all ideals and values that are necessary for the actualization of the COAS vision for the Nigerian Army. I want to therefore urge all of you to imbibe the 4 cardinal pillars of the COAS’ vision which are Professionalism, Readiness, Sound administration and Cooperation”.
“I also commend the organizers of this seminar for aptly choosing ‘Upholding Ethics of the Nigerian Army and Promoting Professionalism and Social Responsibility of the Nigerian Soldier’ as the theme of this workshop. This is highly appreciated because the soldiering profession is guided by Ethics, Professionalism and Social Responsibility which are the major focus of the topics to be discussed during this workshop.
Commending the “all-inclusive manner with which this workshop is organized as evident in the invitation extended to other sister agencies”, Ezugwu said, “I believe this is in consonance with the COAS vision which identified the focal philosophy of the NA to adopt deliberate mechanisms of operating in a joint environment. I am also glad that the workshop seeks to enlighten personnel on the need to uphold the core values, ethics and other traditional tenets of soldiering in Nigerian Army.
“Furthermore, this workshop seeks to address the issues of trafficking of persons which are necessary for the safety of the children, wards and dependents of our personnel. I am highly optimistic that the purpose of this workshop will be achieved and the knowledge gained thereafter will improve our individual and collective professional capacity because of the caliber of the resource persons which include retired senior officers with vast experience in command and leadership”.
“For the participants, I strongly enjoin you to please make good use of this opportunity and harness the maximum dividends accrued from this Workshop. I believe that the knowledge you will obtain from this workshop will make you better leaders and professionals in the soldiering profession”.
In his remarks, Commander, AHQ Garrison, Major Gen Garba represented by the Chief of Staff, Brig Gen Jefferson Feboke said that the sensitization workshop which is the second edition is being organized by this Command to enlighten personnel on some rudiments of regimentation with a view to enhancing professionalism hence the theme “Upholding the Professional Ethics of the NA and Promoting Professionalism and Social Responsibility of the Nigerian Soldier”.
Noting that it shows the emphasis on training in line with the COAS vision which is to have “A Professional Nigerian Army Ready to Accomplish Assigned Missions in a Joint Environment in Defence of Nigeria”, the Garrison Commander said, “The current security challenges coupled with the complex operating environment has necessitated the need to develop and improve on the core competencies of NA personnel as well as enlighten them on socio-economic vices such as trafficking in persons and kidnapping that could hinder their ability to remain focused on their professional responsibilities.
“It is for this reason that we are partnering with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in order to collaboratively address these social vices. The Workshop is designed to equip NA Personnel with the skills and mindset needed to better protect and preserve the cherished image of the Nigerian Army in an increasingly complex operating environment.
“The Workshop will also broaden the understanding of participants on key concepts relating to trafficking in persons as well as equip participants with the requisite skills required to identify traffickers and trafficked persons when they come across them. To this end, participants of this workshop are drawn from all the AHQ Departments and Formations within Abuja.”
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