By Amos Aar
THE Commander, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Major General Sunday Igbinomwanhia, has assured that the Nigeria Armed Forces will continue to work assiduously with other security agencies and relevant stakeholders towards ensuring enduring peace for the nation.
Igbinomwanhia stated this as a Special Guest of Honour at the inauguration ceremony of 4 Special Forces (SF) Command Operation Planning Cadre for Officers held in Makurdi on Monday.
He saidt the Nigerian Army was at the forefront of the fight against insurgency, banditry, farmers-herders clashes, kidnapping and militancy amongst several other security challenges that bedeviled the corporate existence of Nigeria.
“These unscrupulous elements employ different methods and tactics in a bid to frustrate the successes recorded by the Nigerian Army operations.
“To this end, all personnel must possess the requisite capacity and competence to effectively tackle these challenges through the deliberate understanding and employment of principles and planning procedures for the conduct of operations.
“The planning cadre seeks to enhance the capacity and broaden the knowledge of participants on operational planning, processes and manoeverist approach to warfare.
“I therefore, enjoin you to take maximum advantage of this operations planning cadre to build capacity and develop competence.
“I am hopeful that the intellectual discourse during this cadre will provide useful policy options for the planning and conduct of contemporary and future Nigerian Army operations,” Igbinomwanhia said.
He thanked the governors of Benue and Nasarawa States for the friendly environment and cordial relationship with the Nigerian Army.
Earlier in welcome address, the Commander, 4 SF Command, Major General Hilary Nzan, stated that the operations planning cadre was significant in the Nigeria Army training cycle as it afforded them and its middle cadre and field officers the opportunity to learn and interact on the rudiments of operations planning art to support and execute strategic plans or directives.
Nzan said it required officers of 4 SF Command to brainstorm extensively together with officers of other sister security agencies on how to enhance operations planning values and competencies for effective and optimal performance and service delivery.
“This is in line with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Command Philosophy which is to transform the Nigerian Army into a well-trained, equipped and highly motivated force towards achieving our constitutional responsibilities within a joint environment.
“The modules of the cadre were carefully designed to train and equip the officers with relevant operations planning essentials in the attainment of the army goals and objectives,” Nzan said.
He enjoined all participants to freely express their opinions and ideas that would aid in achieving the desired objectives of the cadre, stressing that he had no doubt that the cadre would enrich their knowledge through the variety of lectures, presentations and practical exercises that would be given by various resource persons.
The commander charged the participants to make maximum use of the cadre to understand the dynamics of proper synergy, collaboration and sound coordination of operations with other security agencies.
