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.