By: Joy Odor/Kaduna
The Commandant, Nigerian Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, Air-Vice Marshal Lawal Shittu Alao has stressed that the global and national security imperatives have necessitated countries espousing new strategies to address extant and emerging security challenges confronting them.
Air Vice Marshal Alao who stated this to newsmen in his address during the inauguration ceremony of Students of Junior Course 85 at Jaji Military Cantonment, Kaduna on Friday was of the opinion that in Nigeria, achieving success in the fight against terrorism and insurgency as well as other security threats demands the development of new ways and means.
According to him, the College is not oblivious of the fact that as members of the Armed Forces, their tasks, responsibilities and challenges are dynamic and are becoming more complex by the day, saying the Junior Course is structured to develop their staff, analytical and communication skills to equip them to efficiently operate in single Service, joint, multi-agency and multi-national operations.
“Today’s inauguration ceremony, no doubt, marks a very important milestone in your careers. This is because the Junior Staff Course is a determining benchmark for your future prospects, progress and aspirations in this noble profession of arms.
“As you may be aware, the objective of the College is to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of selected officers of the Armed Forces to prepare them for increasing responsibilities both in command and staff appointments.
“To this end, the College reviewed both the Junior and Senior Courses curricula to focus more on asymmetric security challenges in a bid to equip its students to better confront such challenges bedeviling our nation and the world.
“The implementation of the new Junior Course curriculum began with the last course. You will thus be the second set of Junior Course students to benefit from the reviewed curriculum.
“It is my firm belief that by the end of this course, we should have sufficiently built your capacity with the appropriate skillsets to operate as Grade 3 staff officers and equally prepare you to function effectively at the tactical level of the Services of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“Later today, you’re Directors and Chief Instructors will address you and provide the necessary information to guide your stay and studies in the College.
“The members of the Directing Staff will also be available to assist and guide you on how best to go about your studies and welfare issues generally. Please note that the Directing Staff are expected to assess you objectively on your conduct and performance, without any iota of bias or favour.
“Bear in mind that for you to succeed on the Course, you will need to have a good sense of time management, punctuality, esprit-de-corps, self-confidence and above all, personal discipline as well as drive for knowledge.
“Therefore, I will implore you to trust and have confidence in them as you face your studies with all sense of seriousness” he emphasized.
The Commandant enjoined the students to be very adaptive, hardworking and ready to lay a solid foundation for their chosen career as the course will prepare them for the burden of leadership required of tactical level officers.
AVM LS Alao assured that the College will continue to try its best to provide a very conducive environment for their studies within the limits of available resources while warning against any form of plagiarism, adding that such tendencies as the indefatigable and eagle eyed members of the Directing Staff will easily detect any form of malpractice.
