President Buhari Applauds Military's Resolve to End Insurgency

The President,
 Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, at the
26th Combined Convocation and Passing
Out Parade of the Nigerian Defence Academy,
Kaduna

The President and Commander-in-Chief of the T-Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has applauded the renewed resolve of the Nigerian Military to speedily tackle insurgency that had ravaged the North-East region, ahead of the three-month time-frame. While noting that insurgency remained a threat to the peace and stability of the nation, the president, however, warned that military personnel should resist the temptation of behaving like bullies in the course of carrying out their constitutional duties of safeguarding the territorial integrity of the country, noting that the fight against terrorism could only be won with a credible and effective military. Speaking on Saturday, 12 September, 2015, during the 26 Combined Convocation and Passing-out Parade of 399 Officer Cadets of the  62 Regular Course, Short Service Course 43 (Army) and the Postgraduate Students of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna, President Muhammadu Buhari, the Reviewing Officer of the Parade, stressed that his administration would not compromise on the rule of law and that the Armed Forces must be focused and not deviate from the laws of armed conflicts by ensuring that human rights were not abused. He reiterated that his Government was committed to due process, merit and total observance of the rule of law which he referred to as the central pillars of a prosperous and democratic society. The President expressed regret that insurgency had caused the nation needless loss of human and

President Buhari in a hand shake with some senior officers at the convocation

material resources. He tasked the graduating cadets to play their roles as junior officers in tackling the prevailing security challenges and to realize that they needed the guidance and supervision of their superiors to discharge their duties with diligence. He noted that the Armed Forces had a reputation for valor, resilience and loyal service and, therefore, urged the military top brass to know that on their shoulders laid the mechanism to drive the junior officers. He said it was gratifying that all the three Services recently took steps to emphasize strict adherence to rules in the areas of recruitment, promotions, procurement, project executions as well as better civil-military relations. Mr. President lauded the NDA Management for recognizing that the Institution had a professional military education-background and advised that they should devote their energies to ensure that all its academic endeavours related essentially and served the professional needs of the military, especially those that sought solutions to the current insurgency and terrorism pervading the society. He said that he was aware that ongoing efforts to review all academic courses of study towards ensuring the professional education capacity of the military would soon be completed and affirmed that the NDA must carve out a niche for itself as a military research University because of its uniqueness, instead of competing with civil universities. To this end , P r e s i d e n t Muhammadu Buhari urged the NDA to refocus its entire training system to make it more sensitive and responsive to its mission of developing men and women who, in addition to conventional military training, were also able to fight the intellectual battle for self-confidence and self-assertion. By so doing, he said, the Academy would not only be pursuing excellence in teaching, for which the military University was known, but would also be fulfilling Nigeria's overarching development goals by using academic means and research to meet the needs of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the society at large. He, particularly, recognised and commended the new Commandant for supporting and carrying on the Centres of Excellence projects, established by his predecessor and assured him that the Federal Government would continue to work towards the facilitation of NDA's permanent site. The President congratulated the two eminent Nigerians, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule and Lt. Gen. (rtd) Ipoola Alani Akinrinade on the conferment of Honorary Degrees of Doctor of Letters and Management Science (Honoris Causa)respectivelyon them, describing the honour as well deserving for having distinguished themselves in their vocations. He also extended the same felicitations to the graduands for gallantly enduring the tough physical, mental and intellectual rigours of the training in the Academy, which some of the colleagues that began with them could not endure. President Buhari urged the instructors to remain steadfast in their uncommon task of producing world-class officers who would continue to bring laurels to the Academy and the country at large. He also charged them to do more to inculcate discipline and professionalism

The colour party of the 62nd Regular Course Cadets and the Short Service Course 43 (Army)
on the parade at the ceremony

 as critical parts of the cadets' military training's and to ensure that they remained loyal and ready to defend the territorial integrity of the nation, at all times. He also tasked the NDAto be at the forefront of promoting his Government's fight against corruption and abuse of office, remarking that recent events that led to the investigation of the weapon's purchase within the military, were a product of the decay in every facet of the nation's life. The President further said that the Federal Government, under his leadership, would not renege on the promises made to Nigerians during his electioneering campaigns. He stated that he had the conviction that Nigeria would be better with the collective resolve of the citizens, particularly the labour force, to unite and align with him, to fight the evils of corruption and impunity of the recent past. He reiterated that the Federal Government would assist the NDA, as a premier military University, to achieve its lofty objectives of producing officers with broad-based training in both military and academic subjects. In his welcome Address, the NDA Commandant, Major-General Mohammed Tasiu Ibrahim, thanked President Muhammadu personnel that had done well to bring honour and laurels to the nation, both in peacekeeping and other national and international assignments. Major-General Ibrahim disclosed that a total of 185 Cadets were graduating in the Regular Course, comprising 71 Officers of the Nigerian Army, 53 in the Nigerian Navy and 61 in the Nigerian Air Force, with two from Togo. He added that in the SSC 43 (Army) Cadets, 214 passed out; postgraduate diploma graduated 260, while masters produced a combined with postgraduate diploma also producing 260 graduands. The postgraduate Professional Masters had 710 while 21bagged Ph.D degrees. The Academy was upgraded to a Buhari for honouring the Academy with his presence. He also thanked other distinguished personalities from all walks of life, including the honorary award recipients. He told the gathering that the NDA was in moments of celebration as the Institution just had its Golden Jubilee last year, saying that the NDA had recorded so many milestones in the past years that would be difficult to recount. The Commandant recalled that the NDA was conceived, as part of a grand design to secure the territory of Nigeria, by way of giving a robust training to military officers, both in academic and military warfare. He, particularly, noted that over the past 30 years, the Academy had been producing highly mobile and effectively deployable Cadets and SSC personnel that had done well to bring honour and laurels to the nation, both in peacekeeping and other national and international assignments. Major-General Ibrahim disclosed that a total of 185 Cadets were graduating in the Regular Course, comprising 71 Officers of the Nigerian Army, 53 in the Nigerian Navy and 61 in the Nigerian Air Force, with two from Togo. He added that in the SSC 43 (Army) Cadets, 214 passed out; postgraduate diploma graduated 260, while masters produced a combined with postgraduate diploma also producing 260 graduands. The postgraduate Professional Masters had 710 while 21bagged Ph.D degrees. The Academy was upgraded to a

The Postgraduate graduands taking the oath
at the ceremony.

degree awarding institution in 1985 and prior to that year, Regular that Nigeria was better than what it was now. He decried the current lack of unity in the country and the brazen corrupt practices of today's crop of Nigerian leaders, saying that the founding fathers like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, were men interested in what they would do for the nation and not what the nation would do for them. He described the Nigerian scene as reminiscent of Chinua Achebe's novel, Things Fall Apart, bemoaning that things had really fallen apart in a country where he grew up to see the citizens united and living together as one. He blamed the situation today on failed leadership and prayed that Nigeria would see, in President Muhammadu Buhari, one who could rescue the nation from its poor state, with his track record of discipline, integrity and zero tolerance for corruption. Alhaji Miatama Sule charged the President to live up to his past records and ensure that he pursued his vision with fairness, justice and equity, noting that with people like him,it was possible for Nigeria to be great again, politically and economically. At the graduation ceremony, Cadet Officer Kehinde T Alao, of the Nigerian Air Force, with NDANo. 8625, emerged the overall best, both in the Regular Cadet Course and as the graduating students in Academic performance. Present at the event were the Governor of Kaduna State, Mal. Nasir El-Rufai; the Deputy Governor, Arc. Barnabas Bala; Permanent Secretary of Defence, Alhaji Aliyu Isma'ila; top Military Chiefs; Acting Permanent Secretary of Education, Hajia Hindatu Abdullahi; some Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of Nigerian universities; traditional rulers; parents; friends and well-wishers of the graduands.

President Buhari Honoring the best graduating cadet, Kehinde T. Alao

L-R: The Deputy Commandant, NDA, Air Vice Marshal ABC Nweze;
Kaduna State Governor, Mal. Nasir Ahmed El- Rufa'i;
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari; Commandant NDA,
Maj-General Mohammed Tasiu Ibrahim; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Alhaji Aliyu Isma'ila
And one of the honorary award recipients, Gen(rtd) Ipoola Alani Akinrinade at the ceremony

The Ph.D graduands at the ceremony