The Army Chief who was a Special Guest of Honour ably represented by the Theatre Commander Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI Maj Gen Christopher Musa, rejuvenating the fighting spirit of troops cannot be achieved without discipline which is the fulcrum on which all aspects of military regimentation rests.
Declaring the Seminar open, General Yahaya said, regimentation helps in creating the bond, cohesion and discipline required for the conduct of military operations. It is also true that the output and performance of a formation/unit reflects the level of command and leadership ability of the commander.
He said the 3-day Seminar therefore seeks to rekindle the warrior spirit and regimentation in all commanders and their troops through innovative thinking, critical approaches and implementable strategies premised on my vision for the Army which is "To Have a Professional Nigerian Army Ready to Accomplish Assigned Missions within a Joint Environment in Defence of Nigeria."
"Furthermore, our complex security environment is replete with acts of insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, ethno-religious conflicts and banditry from various non-state actors such as BHT, ISWAP to IPOB, ESN and other terrorist organizations.
"These acts continually pose huge threats to our national security and cohesion as a Country. Our gallant troops have however been resilient and have continued to record tremendous successes against all adversaries of our Nation", he noted.
He reiterated President Buhari's directive that all adversaries of Nigeria must be defeated decisively. Therefore, commanders at all levels must take this as a charge and work towards changing the psyche of their troops by developing a winning posture at all times.
In his remarks, the Chief of Transformation and Innovation (Army) Maj Gen C. Ofoche stressed that the theme of this Seminar is "Intensifying Warrior Ethos and Regimentation in the NA" and is a follow up on the inaugural Warrior.
General Ofoche said the Seminar is meant to rejuvenate the warrior spirit and reawaken the culture of Regimentation in the military to enhance more favourable operational outcomes in the various theatres of operation. The Seminar also intends to rekindle discipline as a core value of the Nigerian Army and enhance cohesiveness in military operations.
"The purpose of this Seminar therefore is to brainstorm and to proffer practicable ways of imbibing in our troops the Warrior Ethos which encompasses the will, zeal and spirit to fight to the end. The re-invigoration of the soldiers fighting will, zeal and spirit are essential to building a formidable 21st Century Army.
"The Seminar will equally broaden participants' perspectives on how effective regimentation can serve as a critical enabler for combat efficiency in the NA. These will not only boost the attainment of NA missions, but also effectively propel the cardinal pillars of Chief of Army Staff's Command Philosophy which are Professionalism, Readiness, Administration and Cooperation", he noted.
Additionally, Major General Ofoche it would propel NA Soldiers to strive for better outcomes in terms of operational effectiveness which is in line with the Chief of Army Staff Vision of having "A professional Nigerian Army ready to accomplish assigned missions within a joint environment in defence of Nigeria."