2023: Army chief warns officers against partisanship

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, Tuesday asked army personnel to remain non-partisan before, during and after the 2023 general elections.

He spoke in Abuja at the opening of a two-day Career Planning and Management Seminar for officers of the Nigerian Army, organised by the Department of Military Secretary.

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The Army Chief, represented by the Chief of Transformation and Innovation, Maj.-Gen. Charles Ofoche, said, “I’d like to use this forum to reiterate the need for all to remain non-partisan as we approach the 2023 general elections.

“Efforts are in place to ensure that the conduct of officers and men before, during and after the election remains professional and above board.

“I, therefore, urge you all to display the highest professional conduct during the electioneering process.”

He said the involvement of the army personnel in several operations across the country had brought to fore, the need for efficient career planning to engender good leadership among officers.

Earlier, Military Secretary (Army), Maj.-Gen. Jamal Abdulsalam, said the seminar was to facilitate the understanding of guidelines required to position army officers and enable them to meet global best practices.

“The department has observed the insufficient understanding of career-related issues among officers.

“This has been compounded by the involvement of the Nigerian Army in a wide range of operations and an increase in the number of commissioned officers in the recent past.

“These factors have significantly affected career planning and thus require a determined approach to military human resource management,” he said.