President Bola Tinubu has eulogized the resilience and professionalism of men of the Nigerian Army, describing them as pride of the nation.
Tinubu, in his speech at the grand finale of the 2024 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) held at the 3 armor division, Jos, said, “There is no doubt; you represent the pride of the nation; an institution with history; an institution that has never failed Nigeria.
“Your charge now is not only to protect your country, but to do what is right and just at all times”.
President Tinubu who was represented by the Minister of Defense Abubakar Badaru, said, “As your Commander-In-Chief, my administration is committed to building a well-equipped, and truly professional army that will remain the pride of the nation.
“We are committed to providing you with all that you need to enable you fulfil your constitutional responsibilities. To this end, I have approved the payment of Group Life Assurance for all members of the Nigerian Army who died in the line of duty.
“To heighten your combat efficiency and dexterity, I also approved the purchase of attack helicopters and other necessary equipment and combat enablers for you to carry out your assignments more proficiently and effectively.
“Judging from the excellent parade and the display I have watched this morning; I am convinced that the Nigerian Army has justified the trust reposed in them for the defence of the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
“I feel proud as your Commander-In-Chief as I watch the array of equipment and your dexterity in handling them. I see the eagerness and pride on the faces of the young men and women as they showed their commitment to defend the country.
“We live in a complex and ever-changing world and our army must continue to evolve to meet the new challenges of the changing world. I am told, that you spent a part of the Army Day Celebration holding lectures and brain storming sessions on the evolving complex and uncertain security situations.
” It is good and proper that you did that so that you can be better prepared for the evolving challenges. As the world changes, Our security architecture must also change to meet up with the new threats.”
In his welcome remarks, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taofeed Lagbaja, said, “The Nigerian Army remains committed to its mission statement, which is ‘To Win all Land Battles in Defence of the Territorial Integrity of Nigeria, Protect Her National Interests and Accomplish other Tasks in Aid of Civil Authority.’
He added that the fulfillment of this responsibility sometimes demands that we make the ultimate sacrifice.
“To this end, we are continuously engaged in preparing ourselves for this onerous duty by honing our skills and competencies for this task.”
“The Nigerian Army under my watch is committed to improving our operational effectiveness to meet the ever-changing violent and complex threats to the nation”.
