Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, has pledged to prioritise welfare of personnel, entrench professionalism and celebrate gallantry by leading with sincerity, transparency and accountability.

Yahaya made the promise during his maiden interaction with the Principal Staff Officers (PSOs), field and corps commanders, on Monday in Abuja.

He said that the task ahead was enormous, urging the officers and soldiers to rise in the defence of the nation.

The COAS also pledged to provide an exemplary leadership and conscientiously follow the standing operating procedures of Nigerian army by ensuring that army “becomes a formidable force for national defence and security’’.

According to him, for the Nigerian Army to be competitive in the 21st century, it must remain professional and seek to develop competencies that would make it ever ready to undertake its constitutional duties.

“It is, therefore, against this background that my mission which is a professional Nigerian Army is ready to accomplish assigned missions within a joint environment in defence of Nigeria.

“To achieve this goal, my command philosophy will rest on four pillars, namely: Professionalism, Readiness, Administration and Cooperation.

“We must return to the tenets of adhering strictly to customs and tradition and ethics of our army and put in place a formidable Nigerian army.

“The task ahead of us is enormous, but so also is the strength of our common resolve to accomplish them.

“As your chief of army staff, I hereby restate my commitment to lead you with sincerity, with transparency and accountability at all times.

“I want to assure you all that I would run the army fairly and justly, giving equal opportunity to all based on individual competencies and character,” he said.

Yahaya assured the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the loyalty of Nigerian Army and also promised Nigerians the Army’s determination to ensure the territorial integrity of the nation.

He paid tribute to the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, and other officers who died with him in the ill-fated NAF aircraft on May 21, in Kaduna.