The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya on Wednesday said that he had approved the production of 10,000 units of RICKSHAW Combat Tactical Vests for effective operations of the Nigerian Army (NA).
Yahaya said this through the Chief of Logistics, Maj.-Gen. Anthony Akintade at the two-day 2021 Corps Commander Ordnance Annual Conference holding at the Headquarters, Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps (NAOC), Abalti Barracks, Lagos State.
The conference with theme: ‘Repositioning Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps in Providing Effective Service Delivery Towards Sustaining Nigerian Army Assigned Missions.’ will hold from Dec. 1 to Dec. 2.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the RICKSHAW Combat Tactical Vests is produced by the NAOC and it contains a kit bag, fragmental jacket, map case, radio holder and a pistol carrier.
Yahaya said that the continuous dependence on imported military hardware in the face of dwindling national economy was impracticable with adverse effect on all operations.
“Therefore, the NAOC has recently been mandated to produce RICKSHAW Combat Tactical Vests through its Kit Factory for the NA.
“This mutually benefiting option can in the long run, guarantee availability of adequate logistics for NA commitments at moderate cost to the government with a resultant boost in the national economy.
“The NA is therefore being ingenious in looking inwards to improve the availability of robust logistics for its numerous operations and other commitments,” the COAS said.
He said that the NA was also partnering with local industries to source for logistics items ranging from vehicles including Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles to wide range of clothing stores among others.
“The EZUGWU MRAP is a glowing testimony of the NA’s quest towards self-sufficiency.
“I assure my unwavering support to all ingenious efforts toward providing effective service delivery and logistics to the NA in all its operations,” Yahaya said.
The COAS said that the NA was currently involved in several joint operations to tackle security challenges in the country such as insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, pipeline vandalism among others.
According to him, the NA has significantly degraded the ranks of terrorists, insurgents, vandals and other miscreants thereby engendering relative peace across the country.
“These successes have been made possible by the conduct of Operation KANTANA JIMLAN, FIRE BALL 1 and 2 and TURA TAKAIBANGO.
“Also, various ongoing exercises across the country such as Ex STILL WATER, Ex NUTCRACKER 2, Ex ENDURING PEACE and Ex DELTA DAWN among others have recorded significant successes.
“These operations and exercises have placed very high demand on logistics through the facilitation of robust force projection to tackle the challenges,” Yahaya said.
The COAS expressed his gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for his strategic guidance and unrelenting support to the Nigerian Army.
“I must remind Commanders at all levels to continue to provide requisite leadership and ensure that their personnel are continually reminded of the need to always uphold the tenets of military professionalism,” Yahaya said.
NAN also reports that a free medical outreach was provided to the families of Ordnance personnel, the neighbouring community and all participants.
A newly remodelled NAOC Officers’ Mess was also commissioned as well as a ground breaking ceremony for two new blocks of Officers’ transit accommodation.(NAN)
