Juliana Taiwo
1 January 2009
Abuja — Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Dambazzau, has advised officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army to take on-going transformation in the military and challenges confronting the establishment seriously.
Dambazzau gave the charge yesterday, while decorating 22 newly promoted officers, adding that their promotion meant more expectations and responsibilities that must be justified.
"Your promotion is a challenge, because more will be expected from you. Out of 162 colonels, only 62 were promoted to Brigadier Generals, and out of 47 Brigadier Generals, only 12 were promoted to the rank of Major Generals," he said, adding that the Generals must exhibit and promote core military values amongst themselves and their troops, "as the transformation in the army is a continuous process."
Meanwhile, former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, has joined in canvassing for adequate funds to be made available to the Nigerian military, adding that it was critical to the on-going transformation in the armed forces.
Odili, in company of his wife, Mary, was among dignitaries that witnessed the decoration of the officers with their new ranks, and pledged to help put pressure on some important Nigerians to help in increasing funding of the military, noting that "the transformation will help build synergy between the military and the civil populace."
The Nigerian Army had last week, announced promotion of 533 officers to various ranks and has granted approval to five Major Generals who applied to go on voluntary retirement after serving 35 years, in accordance with the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service.
Details of those promoted shows that 158 Captains were promoted to the rank of Major, 174 Major were promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, 127 Lieutenant Colonel to Colonel, 62 Colonels to Brigadier General and 12 Brigadier Generals to Major General.
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