COAS Speech on the occasion of the Passing Out Parade of Officer Cadets of Executive Commission Course 07/17

SPEECH BY THE CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF LT GEN TY BURATAI, NAM OMM (BR) GSS psc(+) NDC (BD) FCMH FNHAM BA (Hons) MA MPhil, ON THE OCCASION OF THE PASSING OUT PARADE OF OFFICER CADETS OF EXECUTIVE COMMISSION COURSE 07/17 AT THE NIGERIAN ARMY SCHOOL OF INFANTRY ON THURSDAY 21 DECEMBER 2017
Protocol
1. It is my pleasure today to be here in the Jaji Military Cantonment for the passing out parade of officer cadets of the Executive Commission Course 07/17. Today, we are witnessing the passing out of a crop of officers who 3 months ago were carefully selected out of the numerous soldiers from different corps and services of the Nigerian Army. I must give credit to the Nigerian Army School of Infantry (NASI) which has within this short period, transformed, tutored and nurtured these service men and women to the end products which we see before us today. From the reports I received from the Commandant on their training and the parade we witnessed today, there is ample evidence that these soon to be officers have been put through the mills and have come out refined and ready to contribute their quota to the NA’s efforts at preserving the national security of our nation.
2. Your commissioning into the NA is coming at a period we are consolidating on the gains of several years of intensive security challenges. The Army as you know has been involved in combat operations against terrorist groups, especially, in the North-East where Op LAFIYA DOLE is ongoing. At the same time, other personnel have been involved in conducting various anti-banditry operations in various parts of the country especially in the North-Central Region. The South- South Region has equally been plagued by the activities of Niger Delta militants who are bent on crippling the economy of the nation by engaging in wanton destruction of crude oil and petroleum infrastructures.
3. The NA is currently taking stock and undergoing a period of self-appraisal. Therefore, there is zero tolerance for indiscipline and unprofessional conduct. You have all taken your oath of allegiance to be loyal first to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, thereafter to the NA and down the line. Any act of disloyalty to the system, disobedience to constituted authority and insubordination will be decisively dealt with and defaulters shown the way out. Consequently, I command you to avail yourself with the approved Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service as it applies to your Commission. The NA is strictly guided by this document in its engagements and re-engagement of its personnel. I also need to emphasize that as a professional Army, there are established channels of communication with regards to official matters, correspondences and even expression of grievances. You are to be guided by these channels throughout your career. 4. In the next few hours, you will all be commissioned and thereafter posted to different corps of the NA where you will begin your officer career. You will be exposed to further training in your line of specialization and from time to time attend courses or training with officers from other corps and Services. You need to also make out time for your personal development which will go a long way in adding value to your service in the NA and to our country Nigerian. 5. At this juncture, I congratulate you all for going through this period of training and enduring the difficulties associated with such training. I also want to congratulate your families who have stood by you and given you all the moral support needed to go through the training. I specifically want to commend the Commandant, officers and instructors of NASI for the good job that was perfected within these 3 months leading to this auspicious event. 6. Finally, I will end this speech by expressing my sincere appreciation to The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, without whose support the training of this batch of Executive Commission officers would not have been possible. Mr President approved our request to train this set of gentlemen officers and despite the current economic challenges, provided the means for their training and sustenance. This is also in addition to several streams of emergency recruitments of personnel to beef up the strength of the NA so as to enhance its capacity to confront diverse security challenges facing the nation. Our successes in various operations especially in the North-East, will not have been made possible without the support of Mr President. I therefore, restate the loyalty and commitment of the Nigerian Army to Mr President’s resolve to rid the entire country of terrorism and all forms of crimes. 7. On this note, I say well done for an excellent Passing Out Parade and congratulations.