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Defend Nigeria At All Cost, COAS Charges Troops
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt General Faruk Yahaya has commanded officers and men of the Nigerian Army to defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity against every intruder at all cost.
He told the troops to justify President Muhammadu Buhari’s investment on the welfare and re-equipment of the army, by delivering on their task of defending and securing Nigeria diligently.
Yahaya gave the charge at 1 Division Nigerian Army Headquarters, Kaduna yesterday while opening the First Commanding Officer and Transformational Leadership Workshop organised for junior and middle cadre officers of the Nigerian Army.
Represented by the commandant, Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Major General Ibrahim Yusuf, the Chief of Army Staff said, Transformational Leadership Workshop is critical considering the challenges bedeviling ‘our dear nation today’.
According to Lt General Yahaya, “These challenges require a unique leadership style which is embedded in the key tenets of my vision and command philosophy of professionalism, readiness, sound administration and cooperation.
“This workshop will prepare you as junior and middle cadre leaders to effectively accomplish your assigned missions. I therefore urge you to participate actively in the workshop. Gleaning from the topical issues to be discussed and calibre of experienced resource persons invited for this workshop, I am confident that the expected outcomes of this workshop would be achieved.
“I am particularly glad to note that the target audience is the junior and middle cadre personnel of the Nigerian Army and the focus is on leadership and effective followership at the tactical level.
“This is a critical level of warfare where battles and engagements are planned and executed to accomplish operational level objectives. It is at this level that we have you participants, as frontline commanders, whose duty is to lead men, sustain their morale, and maintain their fighting spirit in the most lethal and demanding operational environment,” he said.
While assuring that the Army Headquarters will continue to provide the resources and guidance required for its officers and men to carry out their assigned roles, the army chief expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for his invaluable support to the Nigerian Army and the armed forces in general towards ensuring success in their various operations.
According to him, “The current efforts of expanding the formations and units with the corresponding construction and renovation of barracks across the country as well as, measures taken to re-equip the Nigerian Army, bear testimony to Mr President’s commitment to enhancing our morale and improving our professional efficiency.
“We must justify the allocation of these resources and goodwill by consistently executing all assigned tasks swiftly and in the most efficient and professional manner,” the COAS said.
Earlier, The general officer commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Nigerian Army headquarters Kaduna, Major General Olufemi Akinjobi said, the theme for the workshop “Combat Readiness in Nigerian Army Units: The Role of the Commanding Officer”, was carefully selected to key into the vision and command philosophy of the Chief of Army Staff.
“We therefore appreciate the doggedness of the Chief of Army Staff for ensuring that the workshop takes place despite the numerous operational engagements of the Nigerian Army across the length and breadth of the nation. This is no doubt a testimony of the exceptional determination and courage of the Chief of Army Staff to enhance training, which is one of the cardinal tenets of the Chief of Army Staff’s Vision of having ‘A professional Nigerian Army Ready to Accomplish Assigned Missions within a Joint Environment in Defence of Nigeria’”.
Also at the event, Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai who was represented by the state’s commissioner for internal security and home affairs, Samuel Aruwan, commended the military’s efforts at keeping Kaduna State and Nigeria safe.
“The Kaduna State government recognises and appreciates the effort of the military in keeping the state safe. On our part, the government of Kaduna State will continue to partner and collaborate with the military by mobilising the citizens to always provide the information required for effective counter insurgency/counter terrorist operations,” El-Rufai said.
Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on New Media and Public Communications to Nyesom Wike, the former Governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has responded to the recent appointment of Bashir Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.).
Olayinka took to X (formerly Twitter) to address discussions surrounding this leadership transition. His post aimed to clarify that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not dismiss Mele Kyari, a northerner, to replace him with a southerner, as some speculated. Instead, Olayinka pointed out that Ojulari, like Kyari, hails from the northern region of Nigeria.
According to Olayinka’s post on his official X account, he emphasised that Bashir Ojulari is from Kwara State, located in North Central Nigeria. Additionally, the new Board Chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, originates from Borno State in the North East.
His post stated: “Bashir Ojulari, the new NNPCL CEO, is a northerner from Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. The new Board Chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, is also a northerner, from Borno State, North East Nigeria.”
Olayinka’s statement came in response to narratives suggesting that the appointment was politically motivated to favour one region over another.
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has strongly condemned the extrajudicial killing of 16 travelers in Uromi, Edo State, while warning against retaliatory violence targeting Southerners in Northern Nigeria.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, MBF Spokesman Luka Binniyat denounced inflammatory threats from individuals claiming to represent Northern interests in response to the killings.
Recalled that the victims, were allegedly armed hunters, traveling from Port Harcourt to Kano when they were attacked by a mob that accused them of being kidnappers.
“The MBF strongly condemns the unlawful killing of any Nigerian citizen, including those who lost their lives in Uromi,” the statement read. “However, we categorically reject any attempt to use this tragic incident as a pretext to unleash violence against Southerners residing in Northern Nigeria.”
The forum assured that the Middle Belt would not become a battleground for reprisals, emphasizing that it remains a safe haven for all law-abiding Nigerians. It urged community leaders and youths to remain vigilant and prevent any attempts to instigate violence, calling for anyone with such intentions to be handed over to authorities.
The MBF also reaffirmed its commitment to justice for all victims of violence across Nigeria. The statement highlighted the ongoing security challenges facing Middle Belt communities, citing persistent attacks by armed herdsmen with little government intervention.
” We hope that the swift response to the Uromi killings would serve as a precedent for broader action against criminal elements terrorizing the region.
“Thousands of our people remain in captivity, and vast portions of our land are still under the control of violent outlaws—primarily Fulani militants,” the statement noted.
“Justice must be served across the board.”
The MBF concluded by reiterating its support for the ongoing investigation into the Uromi incident and calling for a fair and decisive crackdown on all forms of criminality across the country.
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
The Deputy Speaker, Sokoto State House of Assembly, Kabir Ibrahim kware, has commended governor Ahmed Aliyu for executing numerous developmental projects without taking loan from any financial institution.
Ibrahim Kware whp gave the commendation when he led other members of the State Assembly on Sallah homage to governor Aliyu, added that, the governor is very prudent in managing resources to achieve results.
“There was never a time you approached us with a request for permission to borrow money from any financial institutions whether at home or abroad,”he affirmed.
This , according to him, is worthy of commendation considering the myriad people- oriented projects the governor is executing across the state.
Speaking on behalf of the State’s Judiciary, Sokoto State Chief Judge, Justice Muhammad Sa’idu Sifawa, commended the governor for the construction of additional Court rooms at the State High Court.
Justice Sifawa also expressed delight over the way and manner the governor responds to issues affecting the Judiciary, which he said, is a clear testimony of the good working relationship existing between the three arms of government in the state.
Responding to the commendations, governor Ahmed Aliyu appealed for more synergy among the three tiers of government in the overall development of the state.
A statement by Abubakar Bawa, the Press Secretary to governor Alhmed Aliyu reaffirmed his principal’s unwavering commitment of the executive arm to providing the direly needed dividends of democracy to the people of the state,in line with his campaign promises.
The governor also urged lawmakers to present all the needs of their constituencies for prompt and diligent implementation.
“”I want to assure you that my doors are always open for you at any given time, to listen to the demands of your people.”
He reminded them on the need to put politics aside and work together with the executive arm for the progress and even development of the people they represent.
Turning to the members of the State Judiciary, the governor appealed to Judges and Khadis to ensure the quick dispensation of justice, so as to decongest the correctional centres.
“It is worrisome to see how inmates are languishing in correctional centres for minor offences in the name of awaiting trial.
“We recently appointed seven additional Judges and 7 Khadis, which is the first in the history of Sokoto State.
“The idea is to enhance the manpower in our Judiciary so as to speed up the dispensation of justice,” he added.
The governor further assured the members of the Judiciary of his administration’s readiness to ensure their welfare at all times.