By Evelyn Usman

The Chief of Army Staff, COAS  Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya, has disclosed that the Nigerian Army had stockpiled its Combat Service Support supplies  at  various logistic bases across the country , to improve troops operations in the ongoing fight against terrorism.

The COAS spoke on the occasion of the 23rd Combat Service Support Training Week held at the headquarters of the Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps, Abalti barracks, Lagos, yesterday.

He noted that Nigeria, like  many other countries, was  faced with contemporary security challenges dominated by non-state actors, a situation he said had taken a toll on the Nigerian Army by  stretching its  manpower and logistics. 

This, he said,  underscored the dire need for all Combat Service Support Corps to evolve an ingenious road map for effective and efficient support of all Nigerian Army  operations.

The COAS described the training   themed ‘Strengthening the capacity of the Nigerian Army in Combating Contemporary Security Challenges in a Joint Environment’ as important  due to the vital roles played by Combat Service Support Corps of Nigerian Army  both in  peace and war times, as well as in the prosecution of the Army’s constitutional roles and  day-to-day activities,in the attainment of his vision.

He said, “It is in realization of this essence that we ensured that our Combat Service Support Corps have to benefit from various interventions and transformations in terms of capacity building and service delivery in order to move effectively timely logistics in support of all NA operations. 

“To sustain and improve our operations, we have procured and stockpiled the required combat service support supplies  at the various logistic bases across the country and proximate them to operation areas to seamlessly support ongoing operations. 

“It is worthy to note that in terms of their functions, the Combat Service Support Corps are interwoven and unified in the discharge of their functions. This consequently brings to fore, the need for combined training such as this one to improve collaboration, consolidate on the gains and continuously improve our competence”.

In terms  of medical support and improvement, the COAS  disclosed that the Service   had  engaged in a lot of activities and initiations to improve health care in the Army  and by that,enhanced troops morale. 

“These include but not limited to the procurement and provision of prostheses for amputated officers and soldiers from operation HADIN KAI and other operations as well as upgrading and equipping of 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Kaduna, 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Yaba and Military Hospital Lagos”, he stated.  

Furthermore, Lieutenant General Yahaya said  approval had been given for residency training in the aforesaid hospitals including Military Hospital Portharcourt, with a view to  turning out skilled medical professionals for the NA in line with his  vision.

He informed that  training of middle cadre medical professionals in line with best global practices was also reviewed and that  approval was granted for the construction of an ultra-modern Nigerian Army College of Nursing.

“All these noble efforts are geared towards improving professional healthcare services to our soldiers, officers, their families, communities around their locations and other Nigerians at large. Similar strides and efforts were also done to improve the professional capacities, capabilities and services of all the Service Support Corps which are co-hosting this Training Week. 

“Harnesing these efforts and the need to maximize the combined efforts and advantages afforded by the Combat Service Support Corps informed the selection of the theme for this Training Week  which is relevant and  capable of generating robust discussions on pressing issues that would  proffer feasible solutions for the NA to leverage upon in the prosecution of our operations. 

“Furthermore, knowledge gained from this training week will be harmonised to reinvigorate and improve the capacity of the Combat Service Support Corps in the delivery of its services”, Yahaya stated.   

While appreciating the sacrifice, commitment and dedication  of officers and soldiers towards ensuring that Nigeria is secured, the COAS however stated that there was still more to be done.

He therefore called for the need for officers and soldiers to remain professional and non-partisan, as the  2023 General Election approaches.

He said, “great effort must be emplaced to ensure that the conduct of our officers and men before, during and after the polls remains professional and above board. I therefore, urge you to uphold the highest professional conduct during the elections. It is imperative you all acquaint yourselves and your troops with the Code of Conduct for General Elections circulated by the Army Headquarters”, the COAS said.

In his welcome address, Acting  Corp Commander ,Medical, Col. Babatunde  Solebo, explained that this year’s  Combat Service Training Week was organised to build capacity of the Medical  Corps comprising the Corps of Supply and Transport, the Ordnance Corps and the Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and Nigerian Army Corps, for improved service delivery in the Nigerian Army. 

Crucial issues with regards to combating security challenges within a joint environment would be discussed at the training, he said. 

He stated that “never before in our history as a nation have we been plagued with a myriad of security challenges. Insurgents, bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal elements perpetrate their dastardly acts in most parts of the country today. This has resulted in our manpower and logistics being overstretched to cover every part of the country.

“An area of existential threat is the drain of professionals, especially healthcare workers, mostly doctors and nurses who go  out of the country for greener pastures.

“In this regard, one of the keynote lectures during this training week hopes to explore the real need for a Nigerian Army or Military Medical School towards greater independence of the Nigerian Army and indeed the Armed Forces in producing and by extension, retaining its medical doctors.

“This would be a significant logistics and manpower game changer in our readiness to promptly address battlefield injuries and save more lives while we look after the overall health of the families of our officers and men. Such military medical schools are now the norm in countries like South Africa, India, Pakistan, and Egypt, to name just a few.

 “I am delighted to say that the Chief of Army Staff fully appreciates the importance of capacity building and may consider recommendations derived from these intellectual discourse and deliberations”.

The first day of the training witnessed projects commissioning at the headquarters of the Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps and a medical outreach.