NADCEL 2019: Nigerian Army remains a professionally responsive force – Buratai

The Chief of  Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai has restated the commitment of the Nigerian Army as a professionally responsive force in line with its constitutional role of defending the territorial integrity of the nation.

Gen Buratai was speaking Friday in Maiduguri at a press briefing to kick-start  the 2019 Nigerian Army Day Celebration NADCEL and Combat Support Arms Training Week (COSAT).

He emphasized that Both NADCEL and COSAT 2019 are important milestones in the implementation of the NA training activities for year 2019.

Buratai said the NADCEL is an annual event which usually culminates on 6 July every year.

“It is an occasion used as a platform for the Nigerian Army to reflect on our performance and celebrate it’s achievements as well as highlight our operations as key instrument of National Power, unity, integration and development.

“Suffice to state that the Nigerian Army has been leveraging on the event to also showcase our commitments as a professionally responsive force.

“On the other hand, COSAT is an important training activity which provides a platform for the combat support arms to reappraise their performance in providing combat support to NA operations. accordingly, NADCEL and COSAT will be held jointly this year. Tagged as NADCEL/COSAT 2019.” He added.

The Army Chief said this year’s celebration is deliberately designed to focus on the Nigerian Army’s commitments as a professionally responsive force in the discharge of its constitutional roles.

The combination of the two events Buratai said, is a novelty which effectively supports Nigerian Army’s drives towards the building of a professionally responsive force which influenced the choice of the theme for this year’s celebration which is “Professionally responsive soldering: panacea for successful military operations.”

The combined events is scheduled for 28 June to 6 July 2019 in Lagos, 81 Division’s area of responsibility.

It will be recalled that NADCEL 2018 afforded the participants and guests the opportunity to embedded in  a real time military operation code named “Operation Last hold”.

“The  benefit we derived from the exercise were quite enormous as it enabled us to test virtually all aspects of our administrative, logistics and operational activities as a fighting force.

“This year’s event is a deft move directed towards enhancing our training with particular emphasis on the combat support arms for enhanced capacity building.

“This is coming at a time we are actively involved in multifarious operations across the country in which the thorough knowledge of procedures, application of firepower, resource management and actionable intelligence are most invaluable for our success.” Buratai added.

Activities lines up for the celebration include sanitation exercises, interdenominational Church Services, Jumaat service, medical outreaches in all units and formations and a series of lectures to be delivered by erudite scholars.

Other activities lined up for the week-long celebrations include commissioning of projects in barracks around Lagos, a parade match past and NADCEL/COSAT dinner.

Gen Buratai assured that the Nigerian Army is continuously making progress towards ensuring the development of this country.
He therefore solicited the cooperation and goodwill of all well meaning Nigerians to ensure peace, security and safety of lives and property.

He called on the media to desist from negative reporting capable of inciting people and breaching the peace. while assuring all Nigerians that the Army will continue to work hard and collaborate with other security agencies.