As part of activities to mark the 2023 Nigerian Army Day Celebration, the Nigerian Army has organized a Public Speaking Engagement at Command Secondary School Jos. The event which commenced at about 10am on Monday 3rd July 2023 gave soldiers, staff and students of the school an opportunity participate in the activities of the 2023 Nigeria Army Day in line with the vision of the Chief of Army Staff Major General T. A Lagbaja to reposition the Nigerian Army as a professional instrument capable of uniting Nigeria for better development.
Lead facilitator of the event Lieutenant C. T Nwali took staff, Corps Members and students of the school on a ride down history lane to the foundational days of the Nigerian Army and it’s metamorphosis into a professional instrument and organization of integration.
The engagement began with a 20 minutes video on the history, evolution, metamorphosis, development and professionalization of the Nigerian Army into different corps, divisions, directorates and formations over the years. Shortly after which attendees listened keenly to a lecture series on the importance of the Nigerian Army.
Topics covered the ‘Need to be Patriotic Citizens of Nigeria’, ‘Imbibing the Principles of Honesty and Integrity’, ‘the Need to avoid Criminal Company & Criminality’, ‘Advocacy Against Cultism, Drugs and Substance Abuse’, ‘The Potentials, Unifying Power, Comradery, and all Inclusiveness of the Nigerian Army’. Other areas include ‘Career Opportunities in the Nigerian Army’, ‘Criteria for Selection and Enlistment Into the Nigerian Army’ and ‘Civil Military Relations Developmental Projects by Nigerian Army’.
The very excited staff, corps members and students took turns to ask very intelligent and inquisitive question on the organization, professionalism, tactical operations, regimentation, recruitment, discipline, retirement and welfare of families of soldiers who pay the ultimate price in defense of Nigeria’s Unity and Territorial Integrity.
While responding to over fifteen questions, Lieutenant C. T Nwali expressed satisfaction that the engagement was not only fruitful but has spurred the interests of some of the attendees, particularly members of the National Youth Service Corps to join the service of the Nigerian Army.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the event, the facilitator, Lieutenant C. T Nwali said the lecture was “A kind of public enlightenment campaign to showcase the image of the Nigerian Army as an instrument of nation unity and national integration…”
On the expected outcome of the event, particularly that students during the event asked many questions, he said that it “shows that the students are actually interested in what is going on in the country and in the military in particular. Many of them are already nursing the ambition of joining the military in the nearest futures.”
He informed that the Public Speaking Engagement Visit was currently ongoing in Command Secondary Schools across the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT, adding that engagements of this sort were necessary in order to fuster the relationship between the Military and civilians which according to him has been cordial, adding that every solder was once a civilian, hence the need to encourage more civilians to support and join the Nigerian Army.
He encouraged the Nigerian Army to sustain awareness campaigns among the civilian population in order to make joining the Nigerian Army attractive to civilians.
High points of the event was a group photograph with staff of Command Secondary School Jos, Members of the Nigeria Youths Service Corps (NYSC), as well as a section of the students in attendance. Oyinloye Emmanuel, the Head Boy of the school gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the students.
Nigeria Star News 