By Philip Nwosu
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yusuf has said the Nigerian Army is making efforts to re-engage the services of qualified retired personnel of the force, to tap from their wealth of experience and achieve the force’s goals.
General Yusuf spoke at the 4th Quarter Year 2022 Veteran Affairs Directorate seminar which held at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) Oshodi, insisting that those experiences and expertise would be relevant to enhance the fighting efficiency of the army troops in its numerous ongoing operations.
He said: “The Army is still open to your invaluable contributions towards attaining its constitutional mandate and would always welcome your support. In this regard, you are welcome to (the) Fourth Quarter Year 2022 Veteran Affairs Seminar/Workshop. Attend our functions and sessions in order to continue to extend your fellowship to your colleagues you left in Service.” General Yahaya reaffirmed his commitment to achieving his vision “to have a professional Nigerian Army ready to accomplish assigned missions within a joint environment in defence of Nigeria,” adding that he plans to achieve this vision by upholding his command pillars of Professionalism, Readiness, Administration and Cooperation in steering the affairs of the force at all levels. The Army Chief urged the retired personnel of the Nigerian Army to play their respective roles in accomplishing this vision, even in retirement.
According to CS Lewis, “you are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.”
Earlier, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Major General Obinna Ajunwa, said the idea of interacting with retired personnel was expected to boost the morale of the Nigerian Army veterans and give them a sense of belonging while enhancing their productivity/welfare in retirement. General Ajunwa charged the participants to see the seminar as another opportunity to learn something new as they remained partners in securing Nigeria. He said he was convinced that the participants would leave the seminar better informed and equipped with the requisite knowledge to further contribute to community-base security in the country.
During the workshop, several well-packaged and thought-provoking lectures were delivered. The workshop, it was learnt, was organised in line with the Chief of Army Staff’s initiative to constantly engage military veterans to strategise on new tactics and innovations to tackle security challenges in the country.
The Special Guest of Honour and Commandant, Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Air Vice Marshall Idi Gamso Lubo, in his keynote address disclosed that the seminar was to consolidate on the gains of the previous edition while addressing gaps in the employment of NA veterans in information gathering and other supporting roles to military operations.