Chief Of Army Staff, Buratai Announces Commencement Of Army War College

Chief Of Army Staff, Buratai Announces Commencement Of Army War College

The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has announced the commencement of Army War College, with a number of senior lieutenant colonels and junior colonels already nominated as pioneer students.

Mr. Buratai made the announcement on Monday at the 1st quarter Chief of Army Staff conference in Maiduguri.

According to him, the college will begin this month.

“This aimed at bridging the gap between operational and strategic level commanders, who will be well grounded in operational art, design, campaign, planning, decision making process as well as the theories of peace and war,’’ he said.

Mr. Buratai noted that apart from the Boko Haram insurgency, the country still had other security challenges to contend with.

He said the army had to progress as a fighting organisation and brace up to those evolving security challenges.

The army chief also announced the upgrading of the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies, Biu in Borno to University of Technology and Environmental Studies.

He said the concept behind the upgrading was to make the institution a “solution provider’’ and centre of excellence for variety of technically related ventures such as power generation and armament production.

According to Mr. Buratai, the Borno Government has allocated 500 hectares of land for the project.

He used the occasion to warn against “unauthorised disclosure of classified information, as well as the inappropriate use of the social media’’ by personnel of the army.

Mr. Buratai said such acts contravened the army policies, adding that they compromised “some of our operations.’’

“This attitude would no longer be tolerated. Appropriate measures are being taken against defaulters to prove our resolve,’’ he said.

He also stressed the need for personnel to carry out their duties in line with the rule of law and respect for human rights.

“It is with this in mind that I have directed that standards based on regimentation must be maintained and evaluated over time to attain international best practices.

“To this end, I have also directed the establishment of the Nigerian Army Information/Call Centre to enable the public to reach the army through dedicated lines on issue of security concern and other emergencies,’’ he said.

According to Mr. Buratai, the 1st quarter conference is to establish benchmarks, and chart a course for the army in consonance with its forecast of events for 2017.

(NAN)