Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, on Wednesday urged troops of the Nigerian Army to reciprocate the good gestures and derivatives of the ongoing transformation drive in the Nigerian Army by giving their best to effectively combat security challenges bedeviling the country.
General Lagbaja, who spoke to troops of the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps at the official commissioning of the Corps Headquarters Complex in Obienu Barracks, Bauchi, Bauchi State, pointed out that with the support of the Federal Government, the Army has currently cleared the first batch of the backlog of Group Life Assurance that had hitherto accumulated since 2012.
He also announced that the Army has commenced the payment of Personnel Accident Insurance Scheme to personnel of the NA, who were wounded in action or or other forms of accident during operations, as well as the implementation of several other welfare schemes to improve the living standards of personnel and their families.
The COAS added that several combat platforms that are unique to the Armoured Corps are being repaired and retrofitted at the Nigerian Army Command Engineering Depot in the face of the harsh realities of the economic situation of the country, enjoining the troops to respond to these positive developments by exhibiting high standards of discipline, dedication, and loyalty.
General Lagbaja also addressed the Biennial Reunion of the Armoured Corps where he solicited the cooperation and collaboration of both serving and retired senior officers to move the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps forward and restore its traditional and rightful position as the Combat Arm of Decisions in the Nigerian Army.
Aside from the commissioning of the Armoured Corps Headquarters complex, the COAS also inaugurated a Fire Service Station and a Petroleum Oil Lubricants (POL) dump to service the Formation and Barracks.
The COAS also paid a courtesy visit on His Royal Highness Alhaji (Dr) Rilwan Sulaiman Adamu, the Emir of Bauchi, in recognition of the traditional institution and as part of effort to galvanize support for the NA.
Remarking at the event, the Governor of Bauchi State, represented by the Deputy Governor Alhaji Mohammed Auwal Jattau noted that it is heartening to witness the proactive steps taken by the NA and other security agencies to combat security challenges in the country and
urged for sustenance of synergy amongst the security agencies, as they continue to jointly, tackle insecurity around the country.
While pledging that the Bauchi State Government will be committed to providing necessary support to stem the tide of insecurity and criminality in the state, Governor Jattau called on all citizens to continue to support the troops to enable them carryout their constitutional responsibilities effectively.
Earlier in his address, His Eminence, Alhaji (Dr) Mohammadu Saad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, who was a Tanker in his days as an officer of the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps, appreciated the role of the Nigerian Army and particularly the Armoured Corps in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in the country.
He lauded the COAS for the remarkable transformation of the Nigerian Army under his watch within his one year in office, adding that it has positively impacted ongoing efforts to mitigate security challenges in the country. The royal father enjoined the COAS to sustain the development.