COAS Yahaya calls for more synergy among security agencies

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya, has called for more synergy among security agencies to tackle the insecurity in the country.

The COAS, Lt.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya addressing military personnel at Bonny Camp.
Yahaya made the call while addressing military personnel at Bonny Camp, Victoria Island, Lagos State during his maiden visit to 81 Division, Nigerian Army in Lagos on Monday.

The COAS said that no single agency could tackle the level of insecurity in the country, appealing to military personnel to join hands to fight insurgency.

“The enemy we are facing in terms of security challenges are within; they interact with the community, that is why we must remain professional and vigilant.

“Lagos is cosmopolitan and a lot of people are here, it is a city with a lot of people, the more reason you should remain at alert and vigilant.

“Therefore, we must continue to work in synergy with other services and other agencies because what we do not see, another element will see,”he said.

The COAS said that each agency has its own skill and competency that they could bring to the table to ensure success in the fight against insecurity.

“I appreciate you for the job you are doing and urge you not to rest on your oars, but improve on our operations, conduct and activities.

“I also urge you to continue to be professional soldiers working in harmony with other agencies and relating well with other law abiding citizens who are doing their jobs well,”he said.

Yahaya said that all organisations, including the military have their area of challenges, but the important thing is to identify these challenges and continue to work and improve on them.

“I will personally look into areas of challenges, such as improving welfare, renovating and building more accommodation for our officers, providing generators and vehicles for logisitics, among others,” he said.

The Army boss challenged senior officers to step up their game because they have the responsibility of bringing up the Junior officers through good example and leadership.

“You have to be on time before you check somebody for late coming, you have to be well dressed before you can check somebody for not being well dressed.

“I also urge you all to be your neighbours keeper and always check up on one another to see how you can be of assistance to them and their family,”he said.

The COAS advised officers to study and prove themselves in every area, including physical exercises to be eligible for promotion.

“There are limited space at the top as you rise in rank that is why everybody cannot be promoted at once.

“That is why in a battalion, there is only one Lieutenant Colonel because there is a selection process for promotion so it will be wrong to promote everybody at once.

“So, that is why you have to work hard, earn a place, meet the criteria for promotion and you will be promoted,”he said.

Yahaya advised officers against deserting the service because the Army had designed Operation Checkmate to arrest deserters and those who run away from the military among many other offences.

“In any case, this job is voluntarily and if anyone wants to leave you can do so, but there is procedure,” he said.

The COAS said he visited the Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps in Epe to inspect the facility and also meet with the traditional rulers in charting a way forward to end insecurity.

“The Nigerian Army always seek for ways to strengthen relationship with host communities and that is why we have a department in the Nigerian Army Headquarters called Civil Military Affairs Department.

“The responsibility of this department is to enhance relationship with host communities and with other civil societies by providing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the community,”he said.

Yahaya said that the army often conduct quick impact projects in the communities specifically during the Nigerian Army Day Celebration where medical outreaches are carried out, giving out of gift items, among other things.

He said that the communities also provide knowledge and intelligence gathering of the surroundings as well as information among other things that the army required.