The National Defence College (NDC), on Tuesday, officially pulled out the immediate Commandant, Rear Adm. Mackson Kadiri, out of service, following his retirement from active military service.
In his valedictory speech, Kadiri thanked God for a successful sojourn in the armed forces, adding that he had spent nearly 37 years in the military, which he described as a unique profession.
He added that he was proud to be identified with the profession, because of its excellent tradition and the training it provided him in the last 37 years to acquire professional skills, through which he was able to contribute to nation building.
“I have had the privilege of being nurtured by the armed forces, particularly the navy, where I have travelled far and wide in the world, to gain experience and also meet people.
“I will join the league of my illustrious seniors, who are on retirement, to continue to mount advocacy for improvement in the capacity of armed forces, particularly in today’s world where the immediate and strategic security environment is fluid and dangerous,” he said.
The former Commandant commended the bravery and resilience of members of the armed forces of Nigeria in ensuring that the nation remained inviolate.
He urged members of the armed forces to continue to give their best to ensure that the problem of insecurity was addressed.
“To the officers who are gathered here, I will like to urge and reiterate that the capacity of the armed forces will depend to a large extent on the leadership that officers provide.
“I will urge you to bear it in mind that the effectiveness of human authority has a moral and ethical content.
“To this extent, I will like to say that the leadership that we will continue to give to the men and women in uniform will not only be by the authority of power rank, but by the authority of power example,” he said.
Kadiri also called on participants at the college to take advantage of the composition of the courses at the NDC that reflected the requirements to tackle and manage the nation’s complex security environment.
According to him, because the situation was complex, it required a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency approach.
He urged them to apply the course in their schedules with a view to improving global security, to make the world a better place for all. (NAN)
