Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar the General Officer Commanding 3 Armour who also doubles as the Commander Operation Safe Haven has again harped on the need for consistent training of Military Personnel in order to confront and overcome the security challenges bedeviling the Nation. He said Military personnel must be consistently trained, equipped and well prepared to confront threats.
The top Military Officer who was represented by the Chief of Staff 3 Division, Brig. Gen. David Kurmi made this know during the closing ceremony of the 3 Division inter-brigade Warrant Officers (WOs) and Senior Non-commissioned Officers (SNCOs) Competition which held at the Headquarters 3 Division Nigerian Army with Participants drawn from the 3 Division’s Area of Responsibility comprising of 6 Infantry Brigade Jalingo Taraba State, 23 Armoured Brigade Yola Adamawa State, 33 Artillery Brigade Bauchi State, 3 Division Garrison Jos, 43 Engineer Brigade 3 Division Jos and 53 Signal Brigade 3 Division Jos competing to emerge the overall winner.
He said having followed the inter-formations WOs and SNCOs competition with keen interest, he is impressed with the level of interest deployed by all participants from the various formations for the competition as well as their general conduct including discipline, Comradeship, teamwork and general performance.
He disclosed that the today displayed gives an indication of the level of interest of the Nigerian Army in training of its personnel for optimal performance which he disclosed is in line with the Chief of Army Staff Command philosophy to “Transform the Nigerian Army into a well trained, equipped and highly motivated force towards achieving our constitutional responsibilities in Joint
Operations” from which he drew his vision for 3 Division to include
readiness, synergy and excellence.
He said even though this is a competition, he is optimistic that the lessons learnt would be put into practice in all the personnel’s assigned duties at your various formations.
He said “It is also hoped that it will enhance the spirit of sportsmanship,
cooperation and team work amongst the troops”

“As you are all aware, the level of insecurity in the country and the world at large requires consistent training of personnel to enable us secure lives and property of law abiding citizen. Therefore, this competition was organized with the aim of training WOs and SNCOs as the closest senior
leaders of troops in the field, for quick response to emerging threats in the discharging of our roles in a joint environment with our sister services and other security agencies. I urge you to remain resolute, committed and
steadfast in discharging your constitutional roles. Your professional
conducts as trained soldiers are now needed more than ever before in
surmounting the global contemporary security challenges.
“At this juncture, let me use this opportunity to sincerely thank the
Plateau State Government for giving us the conducive environment in
discharging our constitutional roles. It is pertinent to mention here that solving security challenges must be a collective responsibility of every stakeholder and must be with all sincerity of purpose. This is very key as we continue to engage in the various ongoing operations in our respective Joint Operation Area to completely get rid of all acts of criminalities being perpetrated in our dear Nation. We assure you that we will do our very best in conjunction with other security and collaborating agencies in ensuring lasting peace is restored on the Plateau” he concluded.

Special Guest of Honour at the event, the Executive Governor of Plateau State His Excellency Barr. Caleb Mutfwang who was represented by Da Stephen Pam the Permanent Secretary Cabinet and Special Services harped on the importance of training to personnel especially at this critical moment that the State and Nation at large is being confronted with insecurity.
He said the hosting of the event which he described as significant annual training of 3 Division attest to the resolve of the Nigerian Army to ensure well-trained personnel capable of confronting the security challenges in Plateau State and Nigeria at large.
He appreciated the role of the military and other security agencies in fighting insecurity and assured the people of the State that his administration will continue to provide the needed support towards ensuring Plateau State witness seamless peace and Unity for the people to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
“The Government and good people of Plateau are indeed grateful to 3 Division Nigerian Army and Operation Safe Haven for your immense contributions to
our efforts in achieving peace in the State.
“There is no doubt that the personnel of 3 Division and Operation Safe Haven have played tremendous roles in stabilizing and achieving sustainable peace in the State. I therefore urge you to continue to consolidate on the gains so far made in curbing the activities of criminals who are hell bent on causing pain and hardship to the law abiding citizens of the State. On our part. we will continue to call for sincere commitment of all stakeholders to ensure peaceful coexistence in the State.
“God willing with the efforts of the security agencies particularly the Nigerian Army, we must restore the glory of Plateau as a land of peace and tourism” he said.
Brig. Gen. MO Agi the Commander 3 Division Garrison in his remarks commended the formations and others who participated for the display of discipline, gallantry, professionalism and team spirit all through the competition. He charged them to make good use of the lessons learnt during the competition and be better Army personnel.

3 Division Garrison Jos emerged the overall winner of the competition with 470 points of the 500 points, 23 Armoured Brigade Yola came 2nd with 400 points, 33 Artillery Brigade Bauchi emerged 3rd with 390 points, 6 Infantry Brigade Yola came 4th with 370 points, 43 Engineer Brigade 3 Division Jos emerged 5th with 330 points while 53 Signal Brigade 3 Division Jos came 6th with 290 points.
Personnel were rewarded for exceptional performance in the various activities of the competition which include drill, map reading, weapon handling, swimming, combat run and obstacle crossing.

The Federal Fire Service won the tug of war competition with Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps emerging 2nd, Nigerian Immigration Service came 3rd while Federal Road Safety Corps came 4th.

Highlights of the event were the presentation of deserving formations and teams.
The competition was well attended by Senior Army Officers, other Heads of Paramilitary agencies, Traditional Rulers led by the His Royal Highness the Bra Ngwe Irigwe Rt. Rev. Ronku Aka (Rtd) and well wishers.

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The Insecurity in Nigeria Requires Consistent Training of Army Personnel – GOC 3 Div, Maj. Gen. Abubakar