The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, has maintained that the attitude of what he described as “bad-eggs” amongst frontline troops caused recent setbacks in counter-insurgency operations in the country.
A statement from Army spokesman, Colonel Sagir Musa, on Monday said Buratai reiterated this position during the closing ceremony of the Army Headquarters Transformational Leadership Workshop 2019 on June 21.
Buratai during the opening ceremony of the workshop, on June 17, had berated frontline troops, blaming their alleged apathy as the reason for recent setbacks in the counter-insurgency operations.
Musa on Monday quoted Buratai as saying, “In my opening remarks, I observed how the attitude of quite a few bad eggs among us, whose commitment to our national/military cause has waned and led to setbacks in our operations.”
He added that “the Nigerian Army will do all that is necessary to fish out any bad eggs whose willingness to lead or follow as required has waned.”
He said, “Transformational leaders should not wait for them to get out of the way, you must kick them out of your way.”
“I am glad that this workshop has clearly shown to everyone that we have great reasons to be proud of our nation,” he noted.
He said the culture of service, sacrifice and honour in the Nigerian Army has been reaffirmed in the various life lessons and examples of colleagues – serving, retired or late – whose stories were highlighted during the workshop.
He said this culture should reinvigorate and motivate troops as transformational leaders for selfless service to the nation.
He noted that the Army is already working to evolve and institutionalize formal mentoring frameworks to compliment the informal system that it currently practices.
“I have ensured that we take advantage of technology as a force multiplier in our operations. Yet I am glad that your discussions on emerging technologies and innovations made it clear that our human capacity and willingness to work is vital for success,” he added.
He said the presentation on insights into the Nigerian Army Strategic Plan 2019 – 2029 has given hope that the future will be better for the Army.
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