Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, the Chief of Army Staff, inaugurated a suitable official residence for the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of Army Headquarters Garrison at Mogadishu cantonment in Abuja on Tuesday.
The new structure, according to Yahaya, was built in order to reinforce fragmentation in the Nigerian Army and improve troop welfare.
He said the official apartments, as well as official vehicles handed to the RSMs, had been established throughout 18 commands, divisions, units, and formations around the country.
RSMs, according to the COAS, occupy a unique position in the Nigerian army’s hierarchy and scheme of things, since they are the keepers of the army’s and its units’ customs and traditions.
Every RSM, he claims, is the father of his unit since he is the keeper of the army’s regimentation, ethics, customs, traditions, and history.
In his words, “He usually has his own office co-located with the commanding officer because issues concerning soldiers’ administration, particularly their welfare and well-being are channeled through the RSM.
“He, together with the retinue of other soldiers, particularly senior Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and others in that line, maintain also a hierarchy and a chain of command that help them facilitate command and regimentation of the unit and formations.
“And as you know, the senior NCOs are very important elements that act as a bridge between officers and soldiers and the RSM is the head of that bridge.
“This important office of the RSM also has its own unique privileges and that is what I aim to reestablish building from the work by my predecessors.”
Yahaya expressed his wish for an RSM to have a suitable living quarters and a vehicle to go around his unit.
He explained that the gesture was intended to instill pride of place in RSMs as well as strengthen regimentation and discipline within the service through command and control.
Maj.-Gen. Kabiru Garba, Commander, AHQ Garrison, also spoke, emphasizing the need of maintaining troops’ welfare in both peace and wartime for a proper execution of their given missions.
Garba stated that major motivators such as regular salary payment, knitting, training, and providing suitable housing were critical in improving the quality of life for troops.
He said the COAS had taken deliberate and determined actions to promote military morale, improve operational effectiveness, and improve professionalism in the Nigerian army since taking office.
All of this, he says, is geared at realizing the COAS’ vision of a professional Nigerian army ready to carry out assigned missions in a joint environment in Nigeria’s defense.
He thanked the COAS for taking the initiative to promote and improve the role of RSMs in the Nigerian army.
AWO Garba Sani, the Garrison RSM, praised the COAS for repositioning the Nigerian army’s fragmentation for increased efficiency and professionalism.
Sani also expressed gratitude to the COAS for providing him and his fellow RSMs with appropriate accommodations and official vehicles to help them perform their duties more effectively.
In the performance of such tasks, he promised to continue to do his best to ensure discipline and professionalism among soldiers under his command.
It was learned that the official residence of the Garrison RSM is a fully furnished three bedroom bungalow with a standby power generating set, security house and an orderly room.
(NAN)