Retired Maj.-Gen. Garuba Wahab, Director-General, Nigerian Army Resource Centre, has called on senior non-commission officers to imbibe leadership culture to overcome the nation’s security challenges.
Wahab gave the advice on Monday at the 2021 Leadership Awareness and Development Course 2 for Senior Non-Commissioned Officers of the Nigerian Army, at 2 Division, Nigerian Army Headquarters, in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the senior non-commission officers comprise sergeants, staff Sergeants, warrant officers and master warrant officers, among others.
The director-general said any crisis required urgent decision that would stand the test of time in line with the constitution and legal provision without waiting for the senior officers.
Wahab said it was not every time that the junior officers would be waiting for clarifications from the senior officers once they have been given responsibilities, weapons and other things to perform.
“Leadership is an essential ingredient of training, particularly in the army.
“Every individual in the army is trained to be a leader, because the least of the sub-unit is a section and a section is led by a soldier and soldiers are trained to be leaders.
“Over time, a lot of things have happened, and we always want somebody ahead of us to tell us what to do, that is not how it’s supposed to be.
“Nowadays, officers still wait to tell them what to do, even, when you have given them weapons.
“Let us go back to the basics and imbibe leadership culture by doing the needful,” the director-general said.
In his remarks, Maj.-Gen. Gold Chibuisi, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Nigerian Army, said that a good non-commission officer was not born, but groomed.
Chibuisi said that training was a necessary tool to build capacity and enhance effective performance of personnel in the discharge of their duties.
He told the participants that the training would reposition them on role they were expected to play in their units and formations to achieve the vision of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen.Faruk Yahaya.
Also, the Division Training Officer, Brig.-Gen. Umar Muazu, urged the participants to take the course seriously.
Muazu also urged them to improve themselves professionally.
