Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. General Azubike Ihejirika
The Chief Army Staff, Lt-Gen Onyeabo Ihejirika has urged the participants of Warrant Officers’ Academy Course 21/2012 to avail themselves of the unique opportunity made available to them to sharpen their managerial and leadership skills in order to meet contemporary challenges in tandem with his vision for the Nigerian Army.
The Chief of Army Staff who was represented by the Commander Infantry Corps Maj-Gen Mohammed Isah, made the remark during the inauguration of Officers’ Academy Course 21/2012 at Jaji.
The COAS who disclosed that he gave special attention to the training of Senior Non Commissioned Officers noted that the trends in global developments and their consequent impact on national security, no doubt, required Nigerian army personnel to continually train to acquire knowledge and skill.
He further stressed that such training was even imperative for the SNCOS who constitute the threshold of leadership and by extension the fulcrum of unit administration in the Nigerian Army. “Your ability to discharge your duties effectively to assist in the command and control of your units depends on your acquisition of training in an institution of this nature,” he added.
He urged them to approach their training with utmost commitment and diligence, adding that since training has been perceived as a major instrument of transformation, the requirement to build our collective capacity to deal with contemporary and future security challenges would always remain sacrosanct.
Earlier, the commandant Warrant Officers’ academy Brig-Gen Enang Ukagu who was represented by his Deputy Col Pam Alamba disclosed that out of 86 candidates who reported for selection exercise, only the best 50 students were finally selected having gone through aptitude, physical Training and medical tests.
The commandant who further noted that the training programme which was slated for 22 weeks, with wide range of packages were designed to enhance the students professionalism for better soldiering in the 21st century, bearing in mind the current security challenges presently affecting the country and indeed the world at large.