Army chief reads riot act to commanders, says excuses won’t be accepted

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, has warned that he will not take or accept excuses from commanders as they lead troops in tackling security challenges facing the country.

Yahaya gave the warning at the opening of the ‘Combined Second and Third Quarter Chief of Army Staff Conference’’ on Monday in Abuja.

He said the army under his command would remain resolute and continue to chart progressive paths towards tackling the challenges.

The COAS disclosed that he had directed that the tempo of all ongoing operations be sustained and improved upon.

He also said that he had directed that special operations be conducted, especially in the North-central and North-west to address deteriorating security infractions in the zones.

“Commanders must, therefore, glean from my ‘Command Philosophy’ to ensure that operational and administrative proficiencies of Nigerian Army units and formations are sustained and improved upon.

“Commanders must seize initiative and commanders must take initiative. They must take decisive actions to defeat the threats in their respective areas of responsibilities (AORs).

“I will not again take or accept no excuses. Gentlemen, failure is failure irrespective of the circumstances,” he said.

Yahaya said that efforts were in progress to provide the army with combat enablers to enhance and boost its operations towards addressing the logistics constraints.

He also said that concerted efforts were being made to eliminate the threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) which had been a major impediment to troops and their operations in the North-east.

The army chief assured the commanders of his determination to rebuild the fighting skills, capacity, confidence and morale of the troops across the various theatres of operations.

According to him, training must also be given due attention that it deserves, adding that priorities for the fourth quarter of the year would include training and more training.

“I will ensure that through functional training, officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army are equipped with the right attitude, competences and skills to effectively undertake daring missions in addition to developing special operations forces.

“This would be closely followed by procurement that ensures appropriate kitting and provision of protective gear, weapons, equipment and platforms.

“Let me however remind you all that while no effort will be spared in achieving these goals, it is command responsibility to ensure the sustenance and maintenance of all equipment.

“We must therefore strive to improve our maintenance culture to prolong the life span of our platforms and equipment,” he said.

The COAS said the conference would offer opportunity for the officers to brainstorm and interact on the state of affairs of the Nigerian Army and review their activities for second and third quarters that were crucial to the stability of Nigeria.

He said the interaction was with a view to coming up with new strategies for winning the war against terror and other violent crimes being perpetrated across the country.

The Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Maj.-Gen. Anthony Omozoje, said the conference with the team, ‘Developing Enduring Strategies to Accomplish Assigned Mission in a Joint Environment’, was designed to enable commanders to interact on ongoing operations.

Omozoje added that the discussions would also focus on all activities of Nigerian Army during the second and third quarters of the year.

According to him, the current security challenges in the nation require the army to review its current operations and adopt better strategies to tackling them.

He expressed confidence that the conference would produce the blueprint and outcome that would help in reshaping the security landscape of the country. (NAN)