The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya said the Nigerian Army would continue to have a direct bearing on the lives and well-being of its veterans.
The COAS stated this at the Army Veterans Affairs Workshop in Kaduna on Monday.
Yahaya was represented by the Chief of Administration at Army headquarters, Maj.-Gen. Usman Mohammed.
The theme for the Seminar and Workshop is “Leveraging Veterans’ Experience in Furtherance of Nigerian Army Operations”.
“While tackling the issue of insecurity as the main theme of this workshop, may I also inform you that the Nigerian Army will continue to have a direct bearing on your lives and well-being as veterans, having meritoriously served our dear nation before your retirement and discharge.
According to him, the ultimate objective of the workshop is to enhance the capacity of participants, both serving and retired, to effectively support his vision.
COAS's vision is to “Build a Professional Nigerian Army Ready to Accomplish Assigned Missions within a Joint Environment in Defence of Nigeria”.
He explained that the second quarter edition of the seminar and workshop primarily focused on the Nigerian Army veterans, resident in the North West and North Central Zones, especially at this critical time that the nation was faced with diverse but surmountable security challenges.
He noted that there had been a recent upsurge in the activities of terrorists and bandits in parts of the country, resulting in the loss of human and material resources stemming from daring attacks on villages, commuter roads, and rail lines.
“Nigerian Army, under my watch, has continued to review its operations for effective engagements against these enemies of the state; we will still count on your cherished experience in support of our activities in your communities."
“You will all agree with me that through the combined efforts of all Nigerians, especially deliberate collaborations between those of us still serving and our retired personnel, as well as the civil populace, we are better positioned to tackle this menace of insecurity."
“I have also directed the selection of relevant topics in line with the theme of this Seminar/Workshop, in order to generate quality and result-oriented discussions during the interactive sessions."
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“I urge you to bare out your mind, bring out that special expertise and experience acquired over the years, and let us see how we can defeat this common enemy of peace and security in our country.”
“You the veterans, have major and unique roles to play in the current security situation, because you now live with the civilian populace, yet you are well experienced in various aspects of military combats and activities."
He said it was an aberration for the criminals to continue to have freedom of action/passage in communities, where we have tested and experienced veterans that could easily foil their plots.
“You will have the opportunities to discuss some of the ways to accomplish this during the seminar and Workshop presentations,” Yahaya said.
Maj.-Gen. Abubakar Gana, who was Special Guest of Honour, commended the COAS for his visionary leadership and strategic thinking in conceiving the idea of organizing the seminar and workshop for the veterans.
Gana said the workshop created a forum for the serving and retired personnel to inexhaustibly share experiences and identify gaps in operations.
“We must therefore bear in mind that the Nigerian Army is desirous of meeting the expectation of Nigerians, which can only happen if weaknesses in the system are identified and addressed."
“I urge you all to make good use of the opportunity offered to add value to your retirement life by imbibing the intellectual stimulation and life skills that will be on offer."
Earlier the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Nigerian Army Kaduna, Maj.-Gen. Kabir Muhktar said the workshop was to tap from the immeasurable wealth of the veterans.
Muhktar reassured that “Our troops will continue to dominate all threat areas, to guarantee security in the state and the nation in general.”
The seminar and workshop are expected to end on June 3.
