By Augustine Ehikioya
To provide clear directions, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja has tasked mid level commanders of the Nigerian Army to lead their subordinates by example in order to mitigate security challenges bedeviling some parts of the country.
He gave the advice on Tuesday 19 September, 2023, while delivering a lecture titled, “Crafting My Command Philosophy As Chief of Army Staff Nigerian Army Within Nigeria’s Contemporary And Emerging Security Environment”, to students of Senior Course 46, at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna.
This was contained in a statement by the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General, Onyema Nwachukwu. It was made available to Security Watch Africa (SWA).
The Army Chief also described leadership by example, “as the most reliable leadership style, where the leader models the behavior he wants to see in his team members.
“When you lead by example, you do not just push team members towards excellence; rather, you actively demonstrate that excellence. MyMCommand Philosophy is thus a commitment that I will not ask any of my Commanders or Principal Staff Officers, or anyone for that matter, to do what I am unwilling or unable to do personally.
“I equally do not expect my Commanders to ask their subordinates to do anything that they are not willing or unable to do,” he said.
According to him, his expectation is that Commanders at all level, lead by example and propagate such a healthy culture across the Nigerian Army.
Gen Lagbaja maintained that “exemplary leadership will correspondingly impact positively on operational efficiency in the ongoing effort at tackling insecurity.”
He noted that under his watch as the COAS, no stone will be left unturned to ensure that the Nigerian Army remains operationally effective in all its endeavours.
The Commandant of the College, Air Vice Marshall Hassan Alhaji, while speaking at the end of the lecture, expressed appreciation to the COAS for practically taking the lead by delivering the lecture in person and sharing his thoughts to guide the officers on the direction he is taking the Nigerian Army.
He urged the officers to imbibe the leadership qualities espoused by the COAS to sharpen their command capabilities and effectively deliver on assigned tasks.
The COAS also on Tuesday paid a visit to troops of 198 Special Forces Battalion at Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Addressing the troops, Gen Lagbaja expressed satisfaction on the operational engagements of the troops and lauded them for successfully clearing the insurgents from the Rigasa – Afaka axis of the State.
He enjoined them to sustain the tempo of the ongoing operations to completely clear the insurgents from their hideouts.
He assured the troops that their welfare will take the pride of place under his command.
