Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSMs) occupy a significant position in the Nigerian military. Serving as link between officer cadre and soldiers, they maintain discipline, regimentation and professionalism among soldiers. It is on this note that the Nigerian Army organised a convention for RSMs to enhance their capacity to perform their duties effectively. MUSA UMAR BOLOGI reports.
On August 22, 2016, Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSMs), from Nigerian Army units and formations across the country, gathered at the Nigerian Resource Centre, Abuja, for the 2016, RSMs convention.
The convention was designed to enhance the capacity of RSMs at all levels to perform their roles professionally, as dependable links between officers and soldiers in the Nigerian Army.
In his key note address, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, underscored the significance of the event, which emanated from his vision for the army.
He emphasised reasons for involvement of the army in internal security and its role in protecting the territorial integrity of the country, as enshrined in the constitution.
Against these constitutional duties, the COAS also pointed out criticisms the army had to face, from both within and outside the country.
“The Nigerian Army’s engagement in Internal Security (IS) and Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency (CTION) operations at various theatres within the country have tasked the capacity and resilience of the Nigerian Army. Thus, it has brought us to lime light and public scrutiny locally and internationally. These operations and engagements have exposed some flaws in discipline, regimentation and professionalism amongst soldiers.”
Since he assumed office in July, 2015, the COAS had outlined his vision, which is: “To have a Professionally Responsive Nigerian Army in the Discharge of its Constitutional Roles.” And he has since pursued this vision vigorously. His aim is to restore the important core value of the Nigerian Army through discipline, regimentation and professionalism.
“I am convinced that the attainment of these three focal points will redirect the NA towards a more responsive force that is ever ready to conduct its constitutional roles of defending the territorial integrity of Nigeria and also embark on all other tasks in line with its mandates,” he said in his address.
The RSMs convention, therefore, was one of the avenues to achieve this vision; and the COAS stressed the significance of these men and women in maintaining discipline and professionalism among soldiers.
“RSMs in the Nigerian Army are known to occupy a very important position in the efforts towards repositioning the Nigerian Army,” he said. “Suffice to state that RSMs are important link between the officer cadre and soldiers, it is important to re-emphasize that my vision cannot be attained without a well-disciplined, knowledgeable and highly resourceful class of RSMs.
“As custodians of unit regimentation, RSMs should be willing and effectively discharge their responsibilities at all times. It is in the light of this that the theme for this year’s convention has been selected as “Regimentation as the Bedrock of Military Discipline and Professional Responsiveness: The role of the RSM”.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Maj. Gen. JGS Hamakim, while delivering his address, also did not fail to highlight the importance of the event to the participants.
He said the convention was the first of its kind being hosted in the centre, while being the fourth in the session of seminars organized by NARC since its inception in November 2015.
“This convention arises from the recognition by the COAS of the importance of regimentation as the bedrock of military discipline and professional responsiveness by which the driving force is the Nigerian Army RSMs,” he said
He, therefore, charged RSMs to make deliberate efforts in order to uphold discipline in the Nigerian Army in the course of discharging their military duties within the barracks and also in their interactions with the civil populace.
He said the objective of the convention which is: “To enhance the capacity of RSMs at all levels to perform their roles professionally and also serve as dependable links between officers and soldiers in the Nigerian Army.”
“By this, professionalism, competence, discipline and regimentation in units and formations within the Nigerian Army would be enhanced,” the DG said. “This would, therefore, impact positively in the Nigerian Army’s engagements at various Internal Security (IS), Counter Terrorism and Counter Insurgency (CTIOIN) operations in the NE and Niger Delta regions of the country. It is expected that this convention will translate to better performance of Nigerian Army RSMs in the field and subsequent solutions to issues of discipline facing troops.”
Some of the participants at the event also talked about what they have learnt during the convention.
Army Warrant Officer, A Nwabueze, said the convention was important to them as it had taught them things that hitherto did not know before in terms of their duties as RSMs.
“As the link between officer cadre and other ranks, we are the role models,” he said. “This convention has retrained and refurbished us, and when we go back we will be able to implement a lot of things before the troops. At the convention each RSM has his own issue to dialogue with. Our problems are not the same it depends on individual’s area of jurisdiction, but it has created an avenue for us to share ideas.
Another participant, Master Warrant Officer Sylvanus Okafia, RSM Directorate of Army Public Relations (DAPR), said the convention was part of the trainings to enable them carryout their responsibility effectively, as regard the administration of soldiers.
“This is a very peculiar convention, because everybody RSM is here,” he said. “Each and every one of us has his peculiar experience in the field so we lay it bare for our superiors to see; and know what are our shortcoming and our desires.”
It could be recalled that this year’s RSM convention was the second since Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai assumed duty as the Chief of Army staff. The first RSMs convention was held last year in Maiduguri. Several seminars have also been held for officers since he assumed duty.
This year’s convention, like the one before it, provided an avenue for interaction and cross fertilization of experiences and ideas, as RSMs deliberated on key topical issues bothering on regimentation, military discipline and professional responsiveness. They also fashion out better ways of conducting their duties without losing track of possible challenges they could encountered in future.
