The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Yusuf Buratai has announced the commencement of the Nigerian Army War College in Abuja, with a number of senior Lieutenant Colonels and junior Colonels already nominated as pioneer students.
Buratai made the disclosure just as he said the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies, has been upgraded to Nigerian Army University of Technology and Environmental Studies, NAUTESB, with the headquarters at Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.
Buratai made the disclosures at the 1st quarter Chief of Army Staff conference in Maiduguri on Monday.
Noting that the Army War College will begin functioning this month, the COAS said, “This is aimed at bridging the gap between operational and strategic level commanders, who will be well grounded in operational art, design, campaign, planning, decision making process as well as the theories of peace and war”.
Buratai noted that apart from the Boko Haram insurgency, the country still had other security challenges to contend with adding that the army had to progress as a fighting organization and brace up to those evolving security challenges.
Speaking while announcing the upgrading of the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies, Biu in Borno to University of Technology and Environmental Studies, Buratai said the concept behind the upgrading was to make the institution a “solution provider’’.
It will also serve as a centre of excellence for variety of technically related ventures such as power generation and armament production.
While noting that the Borno State Government has allocated 500 hectares of land for the project, the COAS warned against “unauthorized disclosure of classified information, as well as the inappropriate use of the social media’’ by personnel of the army.
Buratai said such acts contravened the army policies, adding that they compromised “some of our operations.
He said “This attitude would no longer be tolerated. Appropriate measures are being taken against defaulters to prove our resolve”.
Buratai used the occasion to assure people in the North East that the military would do everything possible to protect children and support UNICEF and other NGOs to provide needed humanitarian services to children and victims of insurgency where ever they are.
In his contribution, UNICEF Country Representative, Muhammad Malik, commended the Nigerian Army in providing protection and security for UN agencies and others NGOs to provide humanitarian services in the restive region.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has named the newly established Nigerian Army shooting range at the Sambisa forest after the late Lt.-Col. Muhammad Abu Ali.
Described as a gallant, battle tested and patriotic soldier, Abu Ali, who was the Commanding Officer, 272 Task Force Battalion at Mallam Fatori in Borno, died in a battle on Nov. 4, 2016.
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