(Molly Kilete – ABUJA)
Chief Of Army Staff, lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, said the Nigerian army has concluded plans to review the Harmonized Terms And Conditions of Service(HTACOS), for officers to address the commission of female Regular Combatant officers in the service.
Buratai said this has become necessary as the first batch of female regular combatant officers currently undergoing training at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) would soon complete their training and be commissioned into the Nigerian Army.
The army chief, who made this known while addressing officers at the just concluded chief of army staff combined second and third quarter conference, also said the army would review its training curricula especially in the area of deployment in view of operational exigencies to accommodate the female officers.
“The issue regarding their deployment in view of operational exigencies has necessitated a review of their training curricula as it concerns the Nigerian Army,” Buratai said.
“I have therefore directed the convocation of policy guidelines to augment the provisions of HTACOS (officers) which will address the peculiar nature of their commission vis-a-vis their employment in service.”
“It is thus the desire of the Nigerian Army to resume the admission of female regular combatant cadets in line with global convention on non-discrimination against women in national service”.
To ensure young Nigerian army officers are grounded in the rudiments of regimentation and meet contemporary security challenges, Buratai, said he has designated 20 Battalion, located in Serti, Taraba state, as a Model Battalion to “instill the rudiments of regimentation into young officers in the field as well as new graduates from the Nigerian Defence Academy.”