Chris Ochayi and James Uwem
1 January 2009
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Danbazau yesterday urged officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army to take their duties and challenges of ongoing transformation in the military very seriously.
Lt. Gen. Danbazau who stated this in Abuja while decorating 22 newly promoted officers urged them to take seriously challenges confronting the military establishment.
He told the promoted officers that, "your promotion is a challenge because more will be expected from you out of 162 Colonels only 62 got the promotion to Brigadier Generals and out of 47 Brigadier Generals only 12 were promoted to the rank of Major Generals".
He said that the newly promoted officers are bound to be given higher responsibilities and therefore must work very hard to justify their new ranks
Lt. Gen. Danbazau stressed further 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 Peter Odili of Rivers State has reasoned that adequate funding of the Nigerian military is critical to the ongoing transformation in armed forces.
The former Governor who in company of his wife, Justice Mary Odili was among dignitaries that witnessed the decoration of officers with their new ranks, made the remarks while fielding questions from Defence Correspondents shortly after the ceremony.
Dr Odili who however, pledged to help put pressure, with some important Nigerians, to help in increasing funding of the military, argued, that "the transformation will help build synergy between the military and the civil populace."
While expressing confidence on the leadership of the armed forces, Dr Odili said that transformation would help in moving the nation in the right direction.
The Chief of Operations, Nigerian Army Major General Sani Saleh, while speaking at the ceremony also charged the promoted officers especially to continue to acquire knowledge as they will need it most.
He said that the present transformation process has bestowed great expectations on them, as they will be expected to make the right kind of decisions in leading their troops.
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