By Marie-Therese Nanlong, Jos

The Nigerian Army has expressed its commitment to curb the ravaging insecurity in the country, reiterating that the challenges are not insurmountable but require the support of all stakeholders in society.

The Commander, Training and Doctrine Command, TRADOC of the Nigerian Army, Major General Kelvin Aligbe said this in Jos during the 2024 Lieutenant to Captain Practical Examination where over 400 Lieutenants in the Nigerian Army have undergone the examination ahead of their promotion.

Maj. Gen. Aligbe, who addressed the young officers and other stakeholders at the closing ceremony/cocktail in honour of the candidates who participated in the two-week exercise expressed optimism that with the resilience of the military and other security agencies, the challenges of insecurity would be overcome.

He also commended the young officers for their tenacity during the exercise, stressing that with the quality of discipline shown, “there is hope that the Nigerian Army won’t lack purposeful leadership in the future.”

The Commander appreciated the cordial relationship among the Heads of Security Agencies on the Plateau and urged them to sustain the tempo to overcome the security challenges in the State.

His words, “… I believe that as an Army we are doing well, with the needed cooperation and supports by well-meaning Nigerians, the security challenges which is not insurmountable would be a thing of the past… The assessment of the exercise undertaken by these over 400 Lieutenants has shown that the Nigerian Military will not have a leadership vacuum, as the future leaders are well-trained, disciplined and committed to confronting the security challenges in the country.

“In the next 25 to 28 years depending on what is operational, I am not scared that when the time comes and the curtain falls on my career, we will be leaving a system that would surely be in good hands with what I have seen in the last two weeks…”

He assured that “TRADOC would continue to train, educate, develop and build the Nigerian Army to enable the personnel to protect and defend the territorial integrity of the country in line with our core mandate.”

Earlier, the General Officer Commanding, GOC 3 Division of the Nigerian Army and Commander of Operation Safe Haven, OpSH, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar lauded the conduct of the candidates during the exercise saying, “It has been a rigorous and demanding process but one that is essential for the growth and development of young officers for better future leadership positions.

“I want to express my admiration for your diligence, determination and hard work throughout this examination process. You have demonstrated the qualities of discipline, leadership and professionalism that are essential to the future of the Nigerian Army.

“I encourage you to reflect on the experiences and lessons learned during the period. The knowledge gained and the challenges overcome will undoubtedly shape your future as a leader. I am confident that the future of the Nigerian Army is bright, thanks to the calibre of the officers we have seen during this examination…”

Representative of the Candidate, Lt. Mercy Akpesue who spoke on behalf of others appreciated the Nigerian Army and the TRADOC for the exercise which she said thought tasking would enable them to gain knowledge and forge ahead in their career.