The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya has warned Army commanders that he would no longer take or accept excuses, in regards to tackling security challenges in the country. The COAS issued this warning in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the “Combined Second and Third Quarter Chief of Army Staff Conference” on Monday. Yahaya said, “As officers and commanders whose charge are placed men, material and other resources, you are the key drivers of these pillars. You must therefore note that even if we have all we require, we might not achieve much without you providing effective leadership.


“I therefore charge you all to immediately key in to my vision so that together, we can take the Nigerian Army to greater heights. Commanders must seize initiative and commanders must take initiative, they must take decisive actions to defeat the threats in their respective Area of Responsibilities (AOR). I will not again take or accept excuses. Gentlemen, failure is failure irrespective of the circumstances.”


He further said the army would remain resolute under his command and training and retraining of personnel would be a priority.


“I will ensure that through functional training, officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army are equipped with the right attitude, competencies and skills to effectively undertake daring missions in addition to developing special operations forces.”He said.


He also stated that personnel would be kitted with appropriate gear, weapons and equipment to improve the fight against terrorism and criminality across the nation.