By Augustine Ehikioya
Harping on the critical role Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSMs) play in every unit/formation of the Nigerian Army, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya on Tuesday urged them to ensure the complete restoration of regimentation in the Army.
He made the call while declaring open, the Regimental Sergeant Majors Convention 2021, holding at the Headquarters 2 Division, Ibadan, with the theme “Professionalism in a Regimented Environment: The RSMs in Perspective”.
The RSMs convention is an annual event that congregates over three hundred participants across Nigerian Army units and formations.
In a press statement obtained by Security Watch Africa (SWA) and signed by the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General
Onyema Nwachukwu, the COAS charged “the RSMs to put in their best to restore the traditions and customs of the profession, more importantly, now that the army is involved in joint operations with sister services and other security agencies”.
Assuring the RSMs that his administration will provide all necessary requirements within the limits of available resources, he said that his command “will provide the necessary encouragement and conducive environment needed to ensure that personnel are restored to a status that will promote professionalism in the Nigerian Army”.
He noted that his keen interest in the welfare of RSMs and in the progress and capacity development of every soldier of the Nigerian Army shaped the theme of the convention.
The RSMs, he said, must ensure that at the end of the convention, positive change in the attitude, behavior and regimentation of the troops will begin to manifest.
Urging the RSMs to contribute meaningfully at the convention and to ensure that they “go back better informed about their roles”.
According to him, the Army hierarchy needs their cooperation and expertise to move the force forward.