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Technological Revolution Poses Threat To Junior Military Leaders -Commander
Commander, Infantry Corp of the Nigerian Army, Gen. Olufeme Oluyede, has said that technological revolution has further compounded the predicaments of junior leadership in the Nigerian Army.
Oluyede stated this, yesterday, while speaking as Guest of Honour at a week-long Leadership Training Week 2024 organised by the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre (NAHFC) held at Jaji military cantonment, Kaduna.
He explained that the revolution, spearheaded by the birth of the internet, integration of global systems and liberalisation of information amongst others, contributed to the predicament of junior leadership in the service.
The theme of the seminar is, “Effective Command and Leadership: Imperatives of Success in Future Battlespace in Joint Environments”
Oluyede said that non-state actors have increasingly deployed unconventional means in executing their agenda and challenging state authority, adding that the contemporary battlespace had become more complex,primarily because of the increased importance of the cognitive domain, “which is a direct result of the information age.”
He said the seminar was designed to equip junior commanders with skills and mindset required to better prepare and position them for effective leadership in the contemporary operating environment.
The commander noted that the Nigerian Army involvement in internal security operations posed significant challenges to junior leadership, “thus, pushing the Armed Forces of Nigeria into unfamiliar situation that requires novel skills and approaches.
“These among other situations, demanded junior leadership to be circumspect, adaptive and responsive.”
This, he said, was in line with the Chief of Army Staff’s command and philosophy “which is to transform the NA into a well-trained, equipped and highly motivated force constitutional towards achieving responsibilities within a joint environment.”
Earlier, the Director General of the NAHFC, Maj.-Gen. Obinna Ajunwa, said the lecture would familiarise the Nigerian military junior leaders/commanders to the contemporary security environment and their roles in mitigating them.
He said that would also prepare them for future security challenges.
Ajunwa explained that the NAHFC was conceptualised and established by the former COAS as part of efforts to address observed lapses at the tactical and operational level capabilities of the Nigerian Army.
He said the Nigeria Army has a very rich heritage and history which spanned through the Nigerian civil war and participated in several operations within and outside the country as part of UN peacekeeping missions in Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, among others.
He equally said global trends and practices also necessitated the need to establish a future casting centre for the Nigeria Army with the aim of proposing strategies for continuous modernisation to adequately prepare Army to win future battles and wars.
He said the centre was expected to act as loyal opposition to the Nigerian Army by constantly pointing out inconsistencies and flaws within the system and develop partnerships with sister services, universities and MDAs on security matters, amongst others.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new members to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement yesterday, said the appointment is to fill existing vacancies and strengthen the board’s capacity.
The statement said the approved nominees are Mr. Olusegun Omosehin of the National Insurance Commission and Engr. Wole Ogunsanya of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria.
Tinubu also endorsed the nomination of Sam Onyechi, who represents the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum and Barrister Owei Oyanbo from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The President encouraged the new members to leverage their expertise and dedication to enhance local content development within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It added, “The nominations arose from the exit of previous institutional representatives from the Governing Council.
“The NCDMB Governing Council, established under Section 69 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, comprises representatives from key institutions.
“These include the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum, and the National Insurance Commission.”
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to construct additional hostels, rehabilitate roads, and enhance power supply in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
NDDC’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this during a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday by a delegation from the UNIPORT’s Governing Council.
Ogbuku stated that the NDDC had committed to upgrading facilities at UNIPORT as part of efforts to foster partnership with educational institutions across the Niger Delta.
According to him, the implementation of additional projects at the university forms part of a broader strategy to improve education standards in the region.
“Aside from the construction of new hostel blocks and installation of a 300 KVA solar inverter system, the NDDC will also facilitate more projects in the university.
“The commission will also deploy its engineers to assess the condition of UNIPORT’s roads and hostels for potential rehabilitation,” he said.
Ogbuku noted that upon completion, the projects would add to various initiatives previously undertaken by the commission at the university.
“These and other projects reflect our commitment to actualising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Niger Delta region,” he added.
He reaffirmed the NDDC’s dedication to fostering development and strengthening partnerships across the region.
Earlier, Sen. Mao Ohuanbunwa, Chairman of UNIPORT’s Governing Council, who led the delegation commended the current leadership of the NDDC for its achievements in accelerating development in the Niger Delta.
He highlighted the university’s infrastructural challenges, noting that it lacked adequate facilities to accommodate its growing student population, and appealed for the NDDC’s support in addressing the shortfall.
“Currently, UNIPORT has a total student population of about 50,000, while its hostel accommodation capacity can only cater for 5,000 students.
“We therefore urge the NDDC to assist in the construction of additional hostels, improve transportation facilities, and facilitate the acquisition of gas turbines to enhance power supply for our students,” Ohuanbunwa pleaded.
The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, commended NDDC for its impactful projects across the Niger Delta and extended an invitation to the commission to participate in the institution’s forthcoming 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Senate has rejected a motion to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after the former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, late Prof Humphrey Nwosu.
Nwosu presided over the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was truncated by the former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).
The election which was won by the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, was adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the electoral history of Nigeria.
The motion to rename INEC after Nwosu was re-sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe yesterday after lawmakers threw it out last Wednesday.
Abaribe called for posthumous national honours to be conferred on Nwosu in recognition of his role in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
However, the proposal sparked a heated debate once again, with lawmakers deeply divided over Nwosu’s legacy.
Senator Osita Ngwu acknowledged that Nwosu operated under a military regime, which restricted his ability to announce the results.
He argued that “there was no way he would have announced the results with a gun to his head. That doesn’t change the fact that some of us see him as a hero.”
Senator Austin Akobundu, however, described it as most uncharitable for lawmakers to dismiss Nwosu’s contributions, insisting that he deserved a place in Nigeria’s hall of honour.
On the other hand, several senators like Senator Jimoh Ibrahim dismissed the idea outright, questioning why the Senate should honour someone who failed to announce the results insisting that “nothing should be named after him”.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi argued that history does not reward efforts, but only results.
“As long as he did not announce the result, whether under duress or not, I am against naming INEC headquarters after him,” he submitted.
Also, Senator Sunday Karimi criticised Nwosu for lacking the courage to speak out, while Senator Afolabi Salisu warned that immortalising him would undermine the memory of MKO Abiola, the widely accepted winner of the June 12, 1993, annulled election.
“Any attempt to do anything beyond a one-minute silence is to rubbish Abiola’s legacy,” he tendered.
After intense deliberation, most senators rejected the motion through a voice vote.
They, however, agreed to honour him with a one-minute silence and extend condolences to his family, effectively dismissing the other prayers to immortalise Nwosu.