The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai has urged Regimental Sergeant Majors in the Nigerian Army to imbibe the spirit of competence, discipline and professionalism in the discharge of their duties.
Buratai gave the charge at the opening ceremony of a four-day Nigerian Army Regimental Sergeant Majors Convention (RSM) 2020 with theme “Regimentation as an Instrument of Professionalism: The Role of the RSM” held in Owerri on Monday.
Buratai, represented by Lt. Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, Chief of Policies and Planning, NIgerian Army, described the convention as an important training scheme and enjoined the RSMs to give the training their utmost attention.
He said the training was to further equip the participants to serve their role as custodians of discipline and professionalism in the Nigerian Army, urging them to feel free to express their view on how best to inculcate discipline in the force.
The COAS commended the state Governor, Senator.Hope Uzodimma and the people of Imo for hosting the convention and pledged the determination of his officers and men to continually secure the territory and intergrity of the nation.
He encouraged the participants to share their acquired knowledge and experiences to their younger officers as a way of helping them successfully progress in their career.
In his goodwill message, Governor. Uzodinma said that effective leadership, loyalty, selfless service, integrity and discipline on the part of officers of the Nigerian Army are paramount in the achievement of a continued peace and unity in the country.
He commended the Nigerian Army for choosing Imo as the host for the convention and for their role in the relative peace enjoyed so far in the state.
He said that the theme of the convention is apt and instructive as it expresses the determination of the army to be more professional in the discharge of their duty adding that discipline is needed in the attendance and maintenance of peace.
Uzodimma called on the army to endeavour to end the insurgence in the North East so that people in the area could go about thier lawful duties without fear of molestation and intimidation.
Our correspondent reports that the governor, onbehalf of his government, pledged his continued support to the army and other security agencies in the state to discharge their security roles.
Earlier in his address, Major Gen. Lasisi Adegboye, General Officer Commanding, 82 Division said the theme of the event was designed to equip the participants with requisite knowledge to adequately perform their roles, enhance their capacity and promote professionalism in the Nigerian Army.
He said the convention was also to build the competence of regimental sergeant majors on entrenchment of regimentation and professionalism to ensure effective administration and functioning of all formations and units in the Nigerian Army.
He explained that a regiment sergeant major is the custodian and repository of unit regimentation as well as the most effective link between officers and soldiers.
Adegboye said the theme of the convention was carefully selected to re-emphasize the importance of regimentation as the bedrock of professionalism in any military.
According to him, the importance of training cannot be overemphasised as the Nigerian Army is continously engaged in array of operations across the country adding that the success of the operations demand high level of discipline from troops which are products of regimentation.
“It is pertinent therefore, to re-emphasize that the COAS vision which is “to have a professionally responsive Nigerian Army in the discharge of its constitutional roles” cannot be attained without a professional and highly regimented crop of RSMs who are ready and willing to effectively discharge their responsibilities at all times,” he said.
He called on the paticipants to plan, at the convention, on how best they could perform their roles at different levels in the interest of the Nigerian Army and the country at large.
A lecture titled “RSMs in the Nigerian Army: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”, was delivered by Maj. Gen. Stevenson Olabanji.
Our correspondent reports that the high point of the occasion was the presentation of plagues and survenirs to Gov. Uzodimma, the COAS, and other dignitaries.
Directors, Deputy Directors and Commanders of 82 Enugu Division, Commander Quick and Response Squad, senior military officers ( serving and retired), Heads of Paramilitary Agencies and traditional rulers were at the convention.
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