You must think outside the box, Gen Shaljaba tells Nigerian Legion

 
Leader of Nigerian legion corps of commissionaires, Brig Gen David Buba Shaljaba (rtd), has called on stakeholders to be at the forefront and think outside the box for the survival and welfare of all.

General Shaljaba made the call during the inauguration and interaction with newly appointed corps Marshal and regional sports coordinators of Nigerian legion corps of commissionaires Tuesday in Abuja
 

He said,  “You as stakeholders are encouraged and challenged to be at the forefront of working and thinking outside the box for the survival and welfare of these dependants. What is required of you and me, is to create and establish a plan on ground that will be founded on clear Vision, sound values and enduring principles; showcasing long term goals of poverty reduction,wealth creation, employment generation and value re-orientation.

Speaking earlier, Shaljaba said, “I have consciously called for this Meeting not only to officially commission or inaugurate you but most importantly for us to know each other, one on one, rub minds, and take deliberate steps,decisions and policies that will help in promoting our Corps in all areas expected of us to actualize the mandate of this establishment.

 
“Let me quickly inform you that the future of our Corps demands resourcefulness, dedication, cooperation, hardwork, discipline and above all respect and obedience to our established laws.

“We need to create new paths; our future demand new ways!

“Part of these are the reasons for this all important Meeting, where we are going to wear our thinking cap to draw the way forward for the effective running of the Corps, with result oriented perspective.

 
“It is my considered opinion that creating deliberate schemes will expand the horizons of these dependants, who are walking the streets in search of what to do to earn a daily bread. This leadership of the Nigerian Legion under my watch is out to create and establish new breed of Sports men and women,entrepreneurs from various disciplines and trades with increasing number of them that will automatically become net contributors to the national economy. In addition, the importance of sports as a unifying factor and vehicle for publicity cannot be overemphasized.

 
“Equally, owing to the fact that we are living in a complex world, where things get rough, tough, complicated, difficult and twisted, Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaire has become the unavoidable hub of great, extraordinary and creative minds, touching humanity with quality services. You people are the one to do that and there can never be a better time than now. You are the ones in charge with such responsibilities.

 
“We have come to the stage that our Corps will broaden its scope and operations. We are today commissioning the leadership of Nigerian Legion Corps Marshall and that  of Sports. Legion Corps Marshall is primarily established to checkmate the excesses, inadequacies, incompetence and non -challant attitudes of our fellow Corps inorder to be dedicated to duty and enhance discipline. The drive towards ensuring total discipline and respect for the rule of laws and constituted authority rest on your shoulders.

He noted, “Another striking challenge is the lacuna in coordination and implementation of our policies and uniformity of programmes. There are abundant human and material resources to initiate and sustain high and broad based growth and development. Good still, there should be a serious determination to address the issue of implementation. The list of personnel that are to work with you will be forwarded to you immediately.

“Your appointment as Assistant Corps Marshall is to ensure close monitoring and to facilitate the smooth take off of the Corps at various zones of the country.

“However, the overall Commander , the Provost Marshall General, will be vested on this Headquarters for now until when the Corps Marshall has taken off fully and other operational rudiments are well understood by all before Corps Marshal General would be appointed. Let me add that after a befitting performance, all appointed Assistant Corps Marshall will be promoted to the rank of Assistant Commandant General (ACG) so that they can carry out their duties without intimidation from other ranks of the Corps. Your earnest performances after training will guarantee this elevation in a shortest possible time. Your promotion is approved wef date.

 “Again, the field of Sports is one vast and untapped area that is begging for our utilization.

The  Regional Sports Coordinators appointed are to draw out modalities of sports engagement and ensure close monitoring, command and control of Sports activities with in their various zones. You are to engage and maintain other Sports facilitators and  administrators accordingly from your zones and  forward your list to the National Director’s office for proper documentation and  necessary action.

 
“Specifically, we are encouraged to passionately cater for all category of dependants, be it widows, orphans,victims of general neglect and insurgency attacks from herdsmen and farmers that have rendered many homeless and made them refugees in their own country. We are supposed to train and empower them to  engage in Sports and to establish their small scale businesses. As stakeholders, you are encouraged and challenged to be at the forefront of working and thinking outside the box for the survival and welfare of these dependants.

 “We are today launching Nigerian Legion Corps Sports as one of the multifaceted approach towards alleviating the plight of our Corps members. The overall objective is to evolve a workable Sports development initiative for sustainable socio- economic agenda towards strengthening  Nigerian Legion participation in Sports especially Football. To this end I wish to inform you that we have made efforts to have a meeting with the Honorable Minister of Sports. He has shown positive disposition to see us and this would come up pretty soon.

 “It is a great opportunity for Young Sports lovers to build up their Sports career especially inorder to become not only qualified to be employed at international football and other Sports teams  across the world scene but to dominate the World Sports especially Football in few years to come.

 “Therefore, we are today challenged to reason together, plan together, drive together, approach together, achieve together and celebrate our achievements together in Sports especially Football using Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires Sports as the fulcrum for this accomplishment.

“It is said that those who regard happiness as being synonymous with the possession of money miss the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative enterprise. You should also remember that the common denominator of good leadership is the possession of a vision and the ability to instill this vision in the young talented ones and empower them to achieve the goals of the vision, through a process that enables both the leader and the beneficiaries.

It will equally interest you to know that the crown of a leader and his wealth is the prosperity of his people. That is my conviction.

 
He told them that Nigeria Legion Corps of Commissionaires for the first time would delve into Sports since its establishment.

He added that the move is in “a bid to chart a holistic and robust people centred agenda for accelerated and sustainable socio- economic and human development of the country and our diverse dependants that Sports Directorate is conceived and established.

 
“Therefore, it is not business as usual as it used to be over the years. Over the years, the implementation of plans, as I have observed and studied from reports, have been a major issue. This time around, the coordination and implementation of policies and plans is going to be total, and holistic! There will be periodic ( quarterly) review of performance, assessment of achievements, constraints and prospects. The key element of the implementation relates to a system of collaboration and coordination between the National and State Commands as well as the local government divisions. I have a belief that only coordinated approach can produce the intended results hence the establishment of Nigerian Legion Corps Marshall.

 
“I hereby urge all of you to think positively towards giving the best in you, for the best output under this Leadership. In doing this, you must discuss less of the things that will separate us and more on things that will unite us to succeed and even excel”