The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen TA Lagbaja has reemphasised the importance of sound administration of troops saying it is critical to building and strengthening the moral component of fighting power which according to him, centres on getting soldiers to operate and fight effectively.
Gen Lagbaja made this known today while giving his Keynote Address at the Opening Ceremony of the Fourteenth Nigerian Army Finance Corps Officers’ Biennial Training Conference 2024 held at the Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration Auditorium at Arankan Barracks, Appapa Lagos.
The COAS said sound administration helps build morale and promote moral cohesion and motivation within a force. He further elaborated that with sound administration, fighting troops will be assured that the welfare of their family is secured. He however said, that the many laudable welfare programmes initiated by the previous and incumbent leadership of the Nigerian Army such as the affordable home ownership option for all Soldiers Scheme and the Chief of Army Staff Personnel Empowerment Loan Scheme amongst others can only be realised when the Nigerian Army Finance Corps proficiently delivers requisite financial support to the Nigerian Army.
Lagbaja therefore commended the choice of topics and lecturers for the lectures to be delivered during the conference which he said will strengthen the takeaways from the Conference.
In his words, “I believe the conference organisers have intentionally designed it to engage with the financial sector stakeholders from within and outside of the armed forces of Nigeria to improve the capacity and competencies of Nigerian Army Finance Corps personnel and attune them to best practices in the accounting and financial sector in the larger society context.”
The COAS said the Army Finance Corps play a crucial role in the operationalization of the Army and they play a key role in its operational, administrative, training and logistics endeavours. “The finance corps is in my planning process all through, for there is little to nothing one can do without money or the promise of it”, Lagbaja emphasised.
“As the corps that offers specialist services to the Nigerian Army on the issues of budgeting, accounting, financial management and digital economy amongst others, the NAFC cannot but be on top of its game, otherwise, the NA would be left behind in the ongoing transformation in the National and global financial sector”, the COAS urged.
He further said military capability cannot be built or enhanced without adequate budgeting and funding as doing so will be tantamount to erecting a castle in the air, saying he recognises that the lofty ideas of his command philosophy will be meaningless or unattainable without robust financial support plan. “When there is a need, I think of means, as needs are unattainable without means”, he affirmed.
Gen Lagbaja commended the organisers for selecting a theme which perfectly nexuses his command philosophy and the CAB (A) mission statement.
The event was attended by who is who in the financial, defence and security sectors.
