NDA Course 1 Marks Golden Jubile
NDA Course 1 Marks Golden Jubilee Fifty years after their graduation from the Nigerian Defence Academy as the pioneer course, and their subsequent commissioning as subalterns into the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Navy, member of NDA Regular Course 1 have again converged on Ejoor Hall, NDA Old Site to mark their Golden Jubilee anniversary and reflect on how far the Nigerian Defence Academy has come since their graduation, as well as offer sound advice on how to move the Academy to higher heights.
Welcoming his course mates and guests to the event, Chairman of Regular Course
1, Major General Salihu Ibrahim (Rtd), disclosed that Regular Course 1
graduated from the Academy precisely on 18 March, 1967, noting that March this
year clocks 50 years since they were commissioned as officers into the Nigerian
Armed Forces. He further highlighted the role members of the Regular Course 1
played in shaping the armed forces in Nigeria and the challenges they
encountered while they were in service. He also enjoined the serving officers
to serve the country with all their might and strength, urging them to keep the
flag flying.
In a Goodwill Message to members of Regular Course 1, The
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General AO Olonisakin, was represented at the
occasion by Major General AA Salihu, noted that the course is almost the age of
Nigeria as an independent nation, recalling that providence played a role quite
early in their career following the outbreak of civil war in Nigeria. He
extolled the pioneering role members of the Course played in the development
and the growth of the Nigerian Armed Forces, as well as other spheres of
Nigerian national life. He also commended the sacrifice members of Regular
Course 1 made towards the survival of Nigeria and the growth of the armed
force. Describing them as pioneers, He also disclosed that although the armed
forces has grown tremendously in size since their time, yet the foundation of
discipline and valour they laid has continued to shape the Nigerian Armed
Forces into one of the finest fighting forces in African and in the world .
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| Rep. of Chief of Defence Staff, Maj Gen AA Salihu, presenting the Defence Chief’s message to the event. |
Presenting
the Lead Paper tilted, NDA: Past, Present and Future. Foundation for Innovative
Security Praxis in Nigeria and Africa, Major General Ishola Williams (Rtd), a
member of Regular Course 1, took a keen to look at the term security and the
role of government in providing security for the citizenry. He noted that the
primary roles of government are to ensure that the citizens are free from fears
of any sort, and to ensure steady development and growth. He disclosed that the
rising trend of citizens all across the world taking responsibility for their
security is as a result of the colossal fail of governments to carry out their
chief duty of ensuring freedom from fear. He drew attention to some of the
peculiarities of training in the NDA and made recommendations on how best
training at the Academy could be improved in order to make graduates of the
Academy better fitted to serve commanders in the field effectively.
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| Maj. Gen S Ibrahim, flanked by some members of Regular Course 1, Regular Course 2 and Comdt NDA, cutting the tape to commission a water project provided by NDA to the people of Mando |
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The
highest point of the event was the commissioning of some community projects
executed by the Nigerian Defence Academy for the people of Mando – Afaka
environs. The projects, which include the sinking of a borehole and provision
of portable water, complete with storage tanks, for people of Mando Community,
and construction of a block of classrooms for Government Secondary School,
Sabon – Afaka, was conceived and completed through the good will of the
Commandant NDA, Major General MT Ibrahim.
Presenting
the project to members of Regular Course 1 for commissioning, Major General
Ibrahim stated that the projects were borne out of the need to impact
positively on the lives of those living around the Nigerian Defence Academy, as
well as improve civil – military relations between the Academy and the
surrounding communities. He revealed that the Academy undertook the
construction of the block of classrooms in Government Secondary School (GSS)
Sabon-Afaka after a fire incident that completely destroyed the classrooms.
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| MajGen A Salihu (Rtd) taking a drink of water from one of the taps, after thecommissioning of the water project. |
Commissioning the projects on behalf of his course mates, the Chairman of
Regular Course 1, Major General Ibrahim, commended the Nigerian Defence Academy
for bringing relief to members of the community, noting that it will go a long
way in ensuring a harmonious relationship between NDA and the communities
surrounding it. He also called on the members of the Mando – Afaka community to
make judicious use of the facilities.
Speaking on behalf of the Mando – Afaka community, the
Hakimin Afaka, Alhaji Aliyu Abdulwahab, expressed gratitude on behalf of the
community to the Nigerian Defence Academy for the projects. He further revealed
that these were not the first projects the Academy would be executing in his
community, noting that the NDA had already provided them with drugs and foods, as
well as provide healthcare, on a separate occasion and had made a pledge to do
so on a quarterly basis. He therefore assured commandant of the full support of
his community as the Academy goes about its mandate of training officers for
the armed forces of Nigeria.
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| Maj Gen A Salihu (Rtd) commissioning a block of classrooms built by NDA at GSS Sabon Afaka |
The event which witnessed the presence of very prominent
members of the Regular Course 1 such as former Chief of General Staff, Lt Gen
Oladipo Diya (Rtd), former Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen Joshua Dogonyaro
(Rtd), former Chief of Army Staff, Maj Gen Salihu Ibrahim (Rtd), former
Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Allison – Madueke (Rtd), Maj Gen Ishola
Williams (Rtd) and others, also had in attendance members of NDA Course 2 and
members of the subsequent courses.
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Members of Regular Course 1 during the Golden Jubilee
celebrations at NDA marking their commissioning into the Nigerian Armed Forces
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NDA Regular Course 1, which comprised 62 army and naval cadets reported to the
Nigerian Defence Academy on 20 January, 1964 and graduated from the Academy in
March, 1967.