By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has charged mid-level commanders of the Nigerian Army to lead their subordinates by example in the ongoing effort to mitigate security challenges bedeviling the country.
Lagbaja gave the charge on Tuesday, 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 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, on Tuesday.
The COAS said that leading by example remained the most reliable leadership style, where the leader models the behaviour he wants to see in his team members.
According to him, when you lead by example, you do not just push team members towards excellence; rather, you actively demonstrate that excellence.
“My command Philosophy is 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.
Lagbaja added that his expectation was that commanders at all levels should lead by example and propagate such a healthy culture across the Nigerian army, adding that exemplary leadership would correspondingly impact positively on operational efficiency in the ongoing operations.
He said that no stone would be left unturned to ensure that the Nigerian army under his watch remains operationally effective in all its endeavours.
The Commandant of the College, AVM Hassan Alhaji, 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 army.
Alhaji urged the officers to imbibe the leadership qualities espoused by the COAS to sharpen their command capabilities and effectively deliver on assigned tasks.
During a visit to troops of 198 Special Forces Battalion at Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna state, the COAS commended the troops 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. (NAN)
