The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has told soldiers that the nation depends on them to eradicate insecurity and terrorism from the country.
The COAS spoke as the Army reevaluated its training methods and alignment with modern equipment and threats.
Addressing the soldiers at the Nigerian Army Doctrine and Training Conference at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) headquarters in Minna, the Niger State capital, Oluyede promised to prioritise the soldiers’ welfare as they battle all forms of security threats in the land.
“There are so many challenges facing us. The whole of Nigeria depends on all of us here, and we must get that clear. Nigeria is depending on us, believing that we can make a change. If a country is not secure, there is no way there will be economic prosperity. This is because no investor would invest in a place that is not safe.
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“As the Chief of Army Staff, I am going to prioritise you soldiers first, because if we do not have soldiers, we won’t have officers. So, my soldiers come first. I will prioritise your welfare and see how I can make things better for you so that you can do your job well.”
Oluyede said he was aware of the challenges facing the soldiers, assuring the soldiers that he had taken steps to address them.
“I have taken all your challenges to the highest level and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised to look into them. We are looking at how to improve your allowances, build more accommodations, upgrade the current accommodations and other things that would make your lives easy,” he said.
The COAS told the soldiers that even though they had heard such promises from previous leadership, his promises would be fulfilled.
He added that as the leadership of the Army were doing their best to improve the welfare of the soldiers, the soldiers should reciprocate with hard work and more dedication to their national security duty.