Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja says the critical contributions of warrant officers to the Nigerian Army have continued to yield positive results in all land battles in the defence of Nigeria.
He stated this at the graduation ceremony of the Nigerian Army Warrant Officers Academy Course 42, held at the Jaji Military Cantonment, Kaduna State.
The Chief of Army Staff, who was represented by Major General Sani Muhammad, noted that in order to improve upon the efficiency and needed cohesion of the Army, the warrant officers and senior Non-Commissioned Officers cadre must be brought up to speed, so as to enable them cement the connection between the officers and soldiers.
According to Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja, this is aimed at building an effective, motivated and professional junior leadership cadre so as to bridge the hitherto observed gap in professional military education between officers and soldiers’ cadre.
He observed that the Academy has more critical roles to play in the training of lower cadre leadership that has the capacity to confront the nation’s security challenges.
The Army Chief expressed the hope that the professional skills they acquired during the course would reflect in their confidence, comportment, skills and overall bearing, while discharging their responsibilities in the various theatres of operation.
General Lagbaja charged the warrant officers to be innovative and creative in leading soldiers to ensure victory during military operations.
Earlier in his remarks, Commandant of the Warrant Officers Academy, Brigadier General Auwal Mahmuda disclosed that the course began on 9th July with 73 warrant officers and senior non-commissioned officers from various Army formations, institutions and units out of which, 2 of the students were withdrawn on disciplinary grounds.
He explained that the course has equipped the participants with new leadership and management skills to efficiently interpret and communicate command decisions.
Brigadier General Mahmuda commended the Chief of Army Staff for all the necessary support given to the Academy.
The 22 weeks of rigorous military training featured instructional periods and practical field training activities designed to build the capacity of Army non-commissioned officers to perform optimally.
Radio Nigeria