… inaugurates NASFA, remodelled school in Mushin
By: Okosun Dennis
The Chief of Army Staff, (COAS), Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya has reiterated his commitment to ensuring that Nigerian Army personnel are exposed to the best of trainings as it forms a key component of his cardinal objectives.
He noted that it remains a desideratum to the Nigerian Army professional conduct hence he is always pleased to be in any of NA schools and training institutions.
He spoke as the Special Guest of Honour at the commissioning of new buildings and infrastructure at the Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration (NASFA), Arakan Cantonment, Apapa on Wednesday in Lagos.
Other projects the COAS inaugurated included the radio diagnostics Centre at the 68 Reference Hospital, Yaba, a renovated and remodelled Alafia Oluwa Primary School, Mushin – as part of Civil-Military intervention project – as well as 12,000 litres borehole located at Cardoso Street also in Mushin which was initiated by Major General Yekini, an alumus of the school and sponsored by COAS.
At NASFA, Gen Yahaya remarking that “Readiness” is one of the four pillars of his Command Philosophy, explained that readiness for a professional army can only be achieved by well trained and administered troops who are in a high state of morale to discharge assigned missions.
To make that happen, he noted, it can only be achieved under a conducive environment for learning which in turn requires competent instructors or tutors, requisite infrastructure and good administration.
“It’s that drive that we try to provide necessary infrastructure and other facilities for our schools and training institutions across the Nigerian Army.
“What we are commissioning today, 15th March, 2023 in NASFA is one of such strides that we embarked on since my assumption of command of the Nigerian Army.
“I will continue to ensure realistic and mission-oriented training towards building professional standards in the Nigerian Army by providing conducive environment for learning, improving skills and competences of instructors and students, sound administration of troops and their families and more facilities.”
“I am pleased to note that the Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration is a foremost military training institution, which provides skilled work force for the Nigerian Army, sister services and other security and para-military agencies in the country.
On the high standards maintained by troops during the Presidential Election, Gen Faruk Yahaya enjoins officers and soldiers to sustain the high professional standards exhibited by personnel which provided the needed safe, secured, and conducive environment for the conduct of the elections.
“As we prepare for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections holding on the 18 March 2023, I charged you all to maintain the same standard to ensure the civil populace exercise their civic responsibilities, stressing that he would continue to provide the needed logistics for Formations and Units to discharge their responsibilities.
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, the Chief of Accounts and Budget (Army), Maj Gen Adetokunbo Fayemiwo had pointed out, that the Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration (NASFA) as the training arm of the Nigerian Army Finance Corps
established in 1968 as the Nigerian Army Pay Corps Training School, but was later renamed in 1982 after obtaining accreditation of the National Board for Technical Education to train personnel and award both the National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND).
He observed that since then so much curricular developments and upgrading have taken place; making the school more competitive as one of the foremost training institutions in Nigeria as an award of both Ordinary and Higher National Diploma in Accountancy.
Since inception, the school has graduated 2,599 National Diploma and 1,943 of National Higher Diploma which includes personnel and sister services. It trains personnel of the Nigerian Police force and other agencies like Correctional Service, Immigration, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps amongst others.
In addition, he noted, very soon, admission into the school will be conducted through Unified Matriculation Examination (UME), adding that graduates of the school have displayed exemplary brilliance in their various professional callings and responsibilities.
In his curricular innovations, NASFA will soon commence Nigerian Army Chief Clerks course from April 2023 in conjunction with Nigerian Army Leadership course with the Nigerian Institute of Management by May 2023.
On the project, he said it was strategically designed to be in three phases which included the Main building, school auditorium and female students’ hostels. Others are Medical centre, Warrant Officer and Sergeant mess, canteens, a bakery as well as a Quartermaster store while the second phase include furnishing.
He appreciated the COAS for making grants available to enhance training of personnel of the finance Corps. He saluted the courage of his predecessors who recognized the dilapidated infrastructure and decay of facilities in the school and took proactive steps to galvanize a change.
In his vote of thanks, the Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration (NASFA), Brig Gen Osifo thanked the COAS for sparing his time to inaugurate the projects saying that “Your physical presence is not only a confirmation of the enthusiasm reposed in training but that of the training of finance personnel.”
As a finance institution in the Nigerian Army under his Commandship, this school will continue to excel, stressing that, the last four years, every five students have sat and passed ICAN
“Remarkably he revealed, “In the past 55 years this school was established, this is the first time a Chief of Army Staff is visiting NASFA and commissioned remarkable projects.
During the event, 14 past Commandants were present with few of them products of the school.
