The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, says the army would organise more training to rejuvenate the fighting spirit of troops engaged in various operations across the country.
Lagbaja spoke at the opening of a one-day seminar organised by the army’s Department of Transformation and Innovation for troops of Nigeria Army 6 Division in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
The seminar had the theme: “Intensifying Warrior Ethos, Regimentation in the Nigerian Army, Management of Post Trauma Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Drug Substance Abuse.”
He said the country was currently faced with a myriad of complex security challenges that puts an enormous responsibility for personnel to mitigate the challenges.
“To solve this, the army must continue to review its tactics, techniques and procedures, and come up with implementable strategies to defeat the adversaries with both kinetic and non-kinetic means.
“Also worrisome to us is the prevailing incidence of drug and substance abuse as well as PTSD among troops deployed in the theatres of operation across the country.
“These concerns necessitated that troops are sensitized to the effect of drug and substance abuse and management of the stress disorder in order to maintain combat effectiveness,” he said.
Lagbaja said it was important for army commanders at all levels to redirect their efforts towards restoring the fighting spirit of all troops under their command.
“This cannot be achieved without discipline which is the fulcrum on which all aspects of military regimentation rests.
“Regimentation helps in creating the bond, cohesion and discipline required for the conduct of military operations.
“Hence, this seminar seeks to rekindle the warrior spirit and regimentation in all commanders and their troops through innovative thinking; critical approaches and implementable strategies premised on my command philosophy,” he added.
The army chief said the seminar would also be used to rejuvenate the tenets of basic soldering with strict adherence to the traditions, customs, and ethics of the army.
He said the army under his command had taken actionable steps to improve its leadership, operational effectiveness, and administration—the focal points of his mission statement.
Lagbaja gave the assurance that the army would continue to remain loyal to the constitutional democratic governance led by President Bola Tinubu in tandem with the interest of well-meaning Nigerians.
