Nigerian Army Reiterates Commitment To Democracy, Professionalism

By Ayodele Oni

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Taoreed Lagbaja, led other Officers of the Army to Akure, Ondo State capital to the annual Combat Support Arms Training Week, (COSAT), which kicked off on Monday.

The Army Chief reiterated the role of the military in democracy saying the Nigerian Army remains committed to upholding the tenets of the Constitution.

He pointed out that the role of the Military in the protection of the nascent democracy could not be over emphasized.

According to him, the Army had already been fulfilling its duties by ensuring that Nigerians sleep with their two eyes closed.

Lagbaja said that the Military was re strategizing and brainstorming on contemporary security challenges, improve capability of various support element to combat insurgency  bedeviling the country.

He expressed the hope that the gathering would enhance  conversations  between top officers and retired generals on ways to adopt technology through research and development support  to enhance the security measures of the country .

Lagbaja added that the Nigerian Army would be transformed to adopt local indigenous capacity to address security challenges .

“The critical place (importance) of COSAT has consistently being on the rise since the Nigeria civil war, we have continued to encourage professionalism and reposition the unit.

“Today’s gathering which brings about most of our renowned brains to chart a new way forward as warfare is constantly evolving.”

The COAS, while speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the event said the Nigerian Army, being a professional and a dynamic force was constantly exploring avenue to improve efficiency and effective delivery of security in every theatre of operation.

“This training taking place here in Akure is Combat Support Arms Training Week. It’s a week set aside in the army training calendar to give opportunity to the combat support corps to review the activity in the past year and evolve ways of doing things better in other to support the army operations.

“And the theme of this year’s training is ‘Leveraging Indigenous Technology to Enhance our Training Operations’ has been carefully selected taken into consideration the nature of the challenges that we are confronted with across the country.

“And the need to have technology as a leveler to enhance the efficiency of our formation and units in the fields.

“So this is an avenue where senior military personnel, serving military personnel and even the executive from the industry will sit down and rub mind and come up with better ways of conducting military operations and military activities.”

In his address the Acting Governor of Ondo state, Lucky Ayedatiwa commended the selfless service and unwavering support of the Nigeria Army to the  peace witnessed in ondo state .

Aiyedatiwa called for synergy between the army and the sister security agencies and the Amotekun corp established by South-West governors to stem security challenges in the  state and south west region.

He admonished them to adopt new security architecture to stimulate themselves for operational efficiency and national security.

Earlier in his welcome address ,the commander of corp  Artillery, Maj.-Gen. MG Kagye said that the challenges of insecurity requires deliberate efforts  by combat support arms to enhance security measures in a joint environment.

He appreciated Nigerians for intelligence gathering support to the Army.