By Precious Igbonwelundu
After 35 years of service to the nation, 256 Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs) of the military were on Friday retired in a colourful celebration.
Their retirement followed several months of courses on reintegration to civil life, entrepreneurship and other skills acquisition programmes at the Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi in Lagos.
The retirees, who were drawn from the Nigerian Army (NA), Nigerian Navy (NN) and Nigerian Air Force (NAF), were hosted to a combined passing out ceremony with 26 Generals and 47 mid-level officers who underwent management and entrepreneurship courses also at NAFRC.
These 76 officers, it was gathered, were penciled for the courses they took to prepare them for retirement since they do not have much years in the civil service.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, urged the retirees to be unrelenting in their support to security agencies, particularly in the area of community intelligence gathering.
Reminding them of the recently approved enhanced welfare packages for retiring members of the Armed Forces by President Muhammadu Buhari, Olonisakin reminded them of the need to stay loyal and dedicated to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He commended NAFRC Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Kingsley Lar, and other staff for ensuring that Armed Forces personnel were exposed to the latest trends in global entrepreneurship and management training.
“I am aware of the reviewed curriculum designed to enhance the management and entrepreneurial skills of the participants. I urge the Commandant to continue these laudable initiatives for high quality human resource development that will be gainful to our personnel and society at large,” said the CDS.
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In his welcome remarks, AVM Lar said the retirees were the stream one of the second batch for this year. He praised them for their unblemished military service, adding them to remain disciplined, law abiding and worthy ambassadors of the centre.
Lar who led dignitaries at the event round the centre for inauguration of some of the projects executed since his assumption of office in January, said he was glad to have officials of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Defence Intelligence Agencies (DIA) participate in the courses for the first time ever.
Also at the ceremony were a former CDS, Gen. Alexander Ogomudia (rtd.), Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Maj. Gen. Godwin Umelo and Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Logistics Command, AVM Lawal Alao, among others.
