The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen Faruk Yahaya has said that the Nigerian Army is fully prepared to provide adequate security for the success of the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
Gen Yahaya gave the assurance while declaring open the Third Quarter Chief of Army Staff Conference taking place at the Army Headquarters Command Officers’ Mess, Asokoro, Abuja.
He declared that as the preparations for the polls heat up, the Nigerian Army remained committed to discharging its constitutional responsibilities and assisting in providing a secured environment for the conduct of the general elections through “Operation Safe Conduct”
General Yahaya directed all commanders to sensitize the officers and soldiers that would be deployed for the polls on the exercise and to ensure that all personnel deployed for security duties during the election period were given personal copies and thoroughly educated on the guidelines provided in the document of the Nigerian Army rules of engagement, code of conduct being reviewed for successful free and fair general elections.
He stated that the Commanding Officers were tactical commanders who lead or deploy the point sections and contact troops in most army operations.
According to him, “talking to them directly through the conference is expected to improve their confidence, operational skills and competence, and thus, enhance the outcomes of our operations while the Regimental Sergeant Majors(RSMs) are well-respected fathers of their formations and units, custodians of NA ethics, customs and traditions and regimentation.”
He commended all commanders for a job well done in the implementation of the decisions taken during the last conference as evident in the successes recorded, particularly in ongoing operations across all sectors of operation.
According to the COAS, “our kinetic actions in the North East theatre of operations have continued to dismantle the cohesion of the insurgents resulting in massive surrenders of the terrorists.
“This has positively impacted the morale of troops and greatly bolstered the confidence of the citizens. Efforts must therefore be geared towards leveraging on the gains so far recorded to stamp out the miscreants permanently.”
He added that the recent successful hosting of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration in the South East has impacted positively on the security situation in the region even as the troops continue to take decisive actions against the secessionists.
He stated that the troops deployed in the South-South region under Operation Delta Safe have continued to perform creditably with the rejuvenated joint operations leading to the arrest of several suspects and their sponsors. A concerted effort is ongoing to ensure maximal revenue is derived by the country from its oil ventures in the South-South region.
“The Nigerian Army has also continued to contribute positively to the maintenance of security in the South West region, which generally remains relatively calm. Our offensive operations in the North West and North Central regions have also been intensified
“Accordingly, troops in conjunction with the Nigerian Air Force have continued to neutralize bandits and destroy their hideouts under the recently launched onslaughts such as Operation Desert Sanity.
“Our security arrangements in the region have been reinforced in collaboration with other security agencies, particularly in the wake of the unfortunate incursions by terrorists to the region. More successes are envisaged in the region in the days ahead as concerted efforts are been undertaken to track and apprehend the criminals as well as their sponsors.”
He reiterated that the Third Quarter Conference would provide an important platform to further appraise the Nigerian Army’s performance and bring in fresh ideas to enhance their activities on all fronts.
According to him, “also starting from this conference, we have invited some selected commanding officers, particularly from the manoeuvre and other arms and services. We have also invited all the RSMs of all the divisions of the Nigerian Army.
“The aim is to drive home firsthand some vital information, instructions and guidance down the chain of command. The commanding officers are tactical commanders who lead or deploy the point sections and contact troops in most of our operations.
The Third Quarter COAS Conference 2022 is in line with the Chief of Army Staff’s resolve to maintain constant interaction with commanders in the field as they all collectively continue to make improvements in military operations and other activities.
The Army boss while pledging the total support of the officers and the soldiers of the Nigerian Army to be civil in the discharge of their duties, also commended President Muhammad Buhari for his support and encouragement to the service and the Armed Forces of Nigeria in general.
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