Maj.-Gen. Usman Yusuf on Friday assumed duty as the 58th Commander, Infantry Corps l, Nigerian Army at the Jaji Military Cantonment, Kaduna.
Before his latest appointment, he was the Director-General of the Land Forces Simulation Centre, Nigeria.
Yusuf is a member of the Regular Course 39 of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
He took over from Maj.-Gen. Abdul Ibrahim, who was posted to the Nigerian Defence Academy as the new Commandant.
In his remarks, the new commander appealed for maximum support to achieve the desired results.
He said the expectation of Nigeria had not been different from what it has been, which is to bring all the crises in the country to a logical conclusion.
Yusuf said the infantry, being the largest corps of the Nigerian Army, forms chunks of the fighting force.
“We are charged with the responsibility of winning all land battles in favor of Nigeria. We will do our best to bring peace to the country,” he said.
Yusuf charged the troops to look at the body language of the Chief of Army Staff.
“There is a lot of change, and the army chief is very passionate about winning the war, and along that line, he has increased the ration cash allowance of troops in operations by 100 percent.
“That shows how he cares about the troops’ welfare to motivate them to fight. We want them to be motivated along that line and finish the battle quickly,” he said.
Earlier, the outgone commander, Maj.-Gen. Abdul Ibrahim expressed gratitude to the Almighty God, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), and other senior officers for the opportunity given to him to command the corps.
He appealed for maximum support to the new Commander.
Ibrahim highlighted efforts made during his tenure, which included making the corps more cohesive and mission-oriented, prioritizing the welfare of Infantry personnel, and appointing officers to key positions.
He emphasized the COAS’s commitment to troops’ welfare, citing the recent 100 percent increase in Ration Cash Allowance (RCA) and instructing units to improve feeding quality and prioritize troops’ welfare.
Ibrahim said the corps was evolving new strategies to enhance operational competence and reviewing the Nigerian Army School of Infantry’s training curriculum to address contemporary security challenges.
He welcomed the new commander and expressed confidence in his ability to lead the corps to greater heights.
The outgoing commander appreciated the COAS for executing some intervention projects and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) for his strategic guidance and support.(NAN)
