The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede has assured the personnel of the Nigerian Army that he would lead by example, and his words will be his bound.
He gave the assurance on Monday, at the opening ceremony of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) annual conference 2024, held at the Army Headquarters Command Officers Mess, in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital
General Oluyede used the opportunity to pay respect to the late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, who had planned the conference before his demise and asked that a minute silence be observed in honour of the gallant officer.
“Today marks a month and a day since we laid our late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General TA Lagbaja to rest. He initiated the planning for this conference, and I believe we all wish he was here to lead what he began. It is therefore in honor of his memory that I directed the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army) to make this year’s Annual Conference an in-house event, similar to our usual quarterly meetings.”
He urged the commanders and principal staff officers to engage actively with the troops, ensuring that they are motivated, prepared, and ready to tackle challenges head-on.
“Remember that as leaders, we must embody decisive action and set good examples that inspire the Force. Hence, you must lead with determination, resilience, empathy, and an unyielding commitment to our mission objectives.
“I am determined to ensure that under my leadership, the Nigerian Army remains steadfast and unwavering in its commitment to addressing the challenges facing our great nation. Our determination to protect Nigeria’s territorial integrity must be stronger than ever, and we will relentlessly pursue excellence in ensuring the safety and well-being of all Nigerians,” the COAS stated.
Lieutenant General Oluyede said the Conference focus will be on developing innovative strategies to confront and ultimately defeat terrorism and other threats to the peace and security of the country.
“Undoubtedly, the Year 2024 has been eventful for the Nigerian Army, particularly on the operational front. We have increased the tempo of ongoing operations against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and wanton killings across the 6 geopolitical zones of the country. The fight against terrorism and banditry under Operations HADIN ΚΑΙ and FANSAN YAMMA has been intensified in the North East and North West theatres respectively. In particular, Operation FANSAN YAMMA is making concerted efforts to speedily dismantle the Lakurawa terror group’s networks in the North West. These operations leverage enhanced intelligence gathering, rapid deployment of special forces, and synchronized air and ground offensives to establish control and neutralize threats in the region.”
According to the COAS, the sustained large-scale ground offensives supported by air and maritime assets across all theatres have continued to keep terrorists and other criminals off balance while building the confidence of the locals.
He referenced the non-kinetic efforts that have been in the North West and North East regions resulting in the large-scale surrender of terrorists and the submission of a substantial cache of arms and ammunition, which ordinarily might not have been possible through only kinetic efforts.
“To this end, the Nigerian Army will upscale both kinetic and non-kinetic efforts across all theatres of operations in the coming year to ensure peace is completely restored across the country.”
He appreciated collaborations from various sectors of the society and government’s relentless efforts at equipping the Nigerian Army and other security agencies as they confront all existential threats to the nation’s well-being.
He reiterated his Command Philosophy; “To consolidate the transformation of the Nigerian Army towards bequeathing a well-motivated and combat-ready force that can effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities within a joint and multi-agency environment”.
To this end, he said his goal is to ensure that officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army possess the quality and requisite skills to foster professionalism in meeting the demands of the current and future operating environment.
Earlier, the Army Chief of Policy and Plans, Major General Abdulsalam Ibrahim, said the troops have achieved significant progress on all fronts in ongoing operations, however, troops still face substantial threats in some locations, particularly states within the North West, part of the North East and South East regions.
As part of the annual conference, the Chief of Army Staff also presented life insurance cheques to some next of kin of personnel who have sacrificed for the country and presented Hilux vehicles to Regimental sergeant Majors.
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