We will protect and defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity - Army Chief
at Friday, October 11, 2013

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejirika has said the Army is ever ready to protect and defend the country’s territory integrity, the current security challenges not withstanding.


Ihejirika gave the assurance yesterday when he received members of the Senate Committee on Defence and Army at the Army Headquarters.

The Army chief told the committee of the establishment of a Nigerian Army language school where French is being taught.

According to him, the fact that Nigeria is surrounded by Francophone countries in many of its borders necessitated the establishment of the school, in view of the current security challenges.

Ihejirika also informed the lawmakers that the Nigerian Army was denied the leadership of the United Nations Intervention Force in Mali on the ground that qualified officers of the Nigerian Army could not speak French.

He added that the school would teach French and Arabic to enable officers and men avail themselves the opportunity to learn other languages outside the English language.

The Army chief hinted that in the near future, one of the considerations for appointments in the Army would be proficiency in one other language besides English.

He observed that the inability of officers and men to understand French and other major foreign language has adversely affected cooperation with neighbouring countries.

Ihejirika lamented that lack of funds had slowed down the execution of various projects in the Army, assuring however, that the projects would be embarked upon as soon as funds are made available.

He told the lawmakers that the newly established 7 Division of the Army was tailored towards counter insurgency operations in the northeastern states.

According to him, there were constraints in moving troops from Jos, Plateau State to troubled areas in the northeast, particularly Maiduguri, Borno State, which he said is bigger in size than some African countries.

Chairman of the Senate committee, Senator George Sekibo said his committee would a tour of the various project sites of the Army to ascertain the level of performance.

http://www.nigerianeye.com/2013/10/we-will-protect-and-defend-nigerias.html

I doff my cap for ihejirika. This man is a visionary army general. Pls let no man bring tribe into this. Be warned!

I think the school of language is located in Abia state

Wich language na Wich language na

Good 2 hear........hahahaha

FP finally.. Hmmm.. Don't even know the topic sef

Gud

This is lovely

Good initiative.

Cool buh i still wonder what language dey would be learning....


Buh babes eh,If he takes your breath away,nne its ASTHMA
if he sweeps you off ur fit,omo na EPILEPSY oo

#BIGWIG PISSED HERE

bro good initiative #make our military men sabi to speak gud english no be broken

Good gesture.
Loving this man Ihejirika. It dosen't take much to know a good leader..
Always on point.

what bout CHINESE LANGUAGE?


Or won't it last?

seconded.....

buh we are still struggling with English kwanu

all good sha

Ok

Anytin wey em want do to stop terrorism, mak em do. Wether na chinnese em want learn, mak fg fund am, buh wit assurance of curtailing terrorism..up naija army#VictoryBelongToGndAlone

what about sign language ;Dwhat about sign language

Kudos to bros ihejirika

first page tins,wl be dial soon

This is a welcome development

Bref, c'est une percée tres importante pour le Nigeria

Excellent move.

Nigerians do not know what they miss by speaking English only as a foreign language.

I have been saying this for years. We have this Anglophone arrogance that everybody speaks English.

People's reaction in many countries when you try speaking their language has been impressive. Actually beign able to speak makes your stay much more fun.

There is a whole lot of literature out there (never quite same as translated versions) that we miss out on.

However, these foreign languages should be done in tandem with local Nigerian languages.

But there are jobless French language graduates out there. Why not do targeted recruitment in the meantime?

Laudable indeed. A step in the right direction surely.

It is always advantageous to learn another language esp when its spoken by many people and moreso when its an international language. French- on point, Arabic- good for special forces involved in counter terrorism.
Ihejirika carry go.

That's very good but most of our military men (not calling names) cannot even speak english

Area-Fada:
Excellent move.

Nigerians do not know what they miss by speaking English only as a foreign.

I have been saying this for yes. We have this Anglophone arrogance that everybody speaks English.

People's reaction in many countries when you try speaking their language has been impressive. Actually been able to speak makes your stay much more fun.

There is a whole lot of literature out there (never quite same as translated versions) that we miss out on.

However, these foreign languages should be done in tandem with local Nigerian languages.

But there are jobless French language graduates out there. Why not do targeted recruitment in the meantime?

Good point you raised in your last sentence.
The only problem is that those that can speak French may not want to join the army, but if by any means they do, they should be given some preference.

Rare Diamond: We will protect and defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity - Army Chief
at Friday, October 11, 2013

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejirika has said the Army is ever ready to protect and defend the country’s territory integrity, the current security challenges not withstanding.


Ihejirika gave the assurance yesterday when he received members of the Senate Committee on Defence and Army at the Army Headquarters.

The Army chief told the committee of the establishment of a Nigerian Army language school where French is being taught.

According to him, the fact that Nigeria is surrounded by Francophone countries in many of its borders necessitated the establishment of the school, in view of the current security challenges.

Ihejirika also informed the lawmakers that the Nigerian Army was denied the leadership of the United Nations Intervention Force in Mali on the ground that qualified officers of the Nigerian Army could not speak French.

He added that the school would teach French and Arabic to enable officers and men avail themselves the opportunity to learn other languages outside the English language.

The Army chief hinted that in the near future, one of the considerations for appointments in the Army would be proficiency in one other language besides English.

He observed that the inability of officers and men to understand French and other major foreign language has adversely affected cooperation with neighbouring countries.

Ihejirika lamented that lack of funds had slowed down the execution of various projects in the Army, assuring however, that the projects would be embarked upon as soon as funds are made available.

He told the lawmakers that the newly established 7 Division of the Army was tailored towards counter insurgency operations in the northeastern states.

According to him, there were constraints in moving troops from Jos, Plateau State to troubled areas in the northeast, particularly Maiduguri, Borno State, which he said is bigger in size than some African countries.

Chairman of the Senate committee, Senator George Sekibo said his committee would a tour of the various project sites of the Army to ascertain the level of performance.

http://www.nigerianeye.com/2013/10/we-will-protect-and-defend-nigerias.html

to my own view dis called nonsense according to D;banj, because almost 70% of the army cant even speak pigin english, nd now you talking learning french, meet aboki soldier u go understand wetin i dey talk.

Arabic ? Oh, that sounds violence.

ashezbrown: to my own view dis called nonsense according to D;banj, because almost 70% of the army cant even speak pigin english, nd now you talking learning french, meet aboki soldier u go understand wetin i dey talk.

Guy you can lie for africa.

Lucaskid: bro good initiative #make our military men sabi to speak gud english no be broken

hmmm. Our aboki soljas no even fit speak nor understand english, na french dem wan understan? . Abeg No laff

Kudos to the NA...

peleson: I doff my cap for ihejirika. This man is a visionary army general. Pls let no man bring tribe into this. Be warned!

it's a good thing to say all troops must be able to speak French. But I must tell you categorically that the NA has a college of Education in Ilorin (Sobi-Barracks), were this languages are been taught to soldiers and officers. The school is been managed by the Nigerian Army Education Corps. It has existed for more than 20years. He is politically advocating for more funds but if the school is now to be created in every division of the Army, that makes it very great.

He is a purposeful leader. He has just removed the School of Nursing Yaba, from the NA Medical corps training school Ojo. Therefore, the school can benefit administratively and financially on its own as it used to stand alone previously. Intact the school is now to be called Nigerian Army College of Nursing. Mind you, this school has existed since 1979. It trains Registered Nurses for the Army, Navy, Airforce, Police, Prisons, Road Safety and other paramilitary corps.

He is the first Engineer Officer to be the COAS and it is widely know that the best brains in the army belong to this corps as well as the Signal corps.

That is the early thing our country suppose to do since not now, because soldiers they traveled often so there should be this school since.