News

17 Major Generals, 14 Brigadier Generals Retired From Nigerian Army

Published

10 years ago

April 25, 2015

The Nigerian Army in a gale of retirements has pulled out 31 Generals from Service and also called for the archiving of the experiences gathered in the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram in the North East.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah while speaking during the Pulling Out Ceremony of the 17 Major Generals and 14 Brigadier Generals, at    Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja, also charged serving Officers to imbibe the virtue of loyalty to the nation being exemplified by the retiring officers.
Minimah who was represented by the Army Chief of Policy and Plans, Maj-Gen. Ugo Buzugbe, while speaking to journalists after the event, noted that it was a “Thing of pride to have joined the army served meritorious, and are retiring hale and hearty in one piece”.
According to him, the ceremony was to honour some of their colleagues who were retiring after serving meritoriously.
He said: “In the army it was a thing of pride to have joined the army, serve in the army and retire meritoriously in sound health. Service in the military is service to humanity because it is only the profession that you pay the supreme price.
“As long as we have conflict that will demand the military involved some of us are ready to pay the supreme price as that is what service in the army is all about”.
“The only way to surmount the roughness of the profession, because it is rough most of the time, is by training and being professional on the job, this is sacrifice that requires loyalty, commitment and hard work”, he added.
Responding on behalf of the retired officers, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Bassey (Rtd) called on the Nigerian Army to carefully document its experiences in the ongoing operations in the North-East with a view to improving on its overall combat efficiency.
Bassey who was the reviewing officer at the pulling out ceremony of 31 retired Army Generals, in a Valedictory address on behalf of his colleagues, insisted that combat operation methods and logistics must be reviewed amongst others to enhance combat readiness and efficiency.
He said: “There is indeed no substitute to sound professionalism in the conduct of your duties, no matter its nature or degree of importance. The current security challenge that the Nigerian Army currently faces comes to mind as we retired officers follow the trend of events that affect our constituency-the military.
“It is heart-warning however, to note that very significant progress has been made in the fight against terrorism.
The army must therefore sustain the current momentum and put this difficult moment of our national history behind us”.
Bassey commended the Chief of Army Staff and all personnel of the Army for the accomplishment and assured them of the retired officers’ support always.
He reminded the officers to remain loyal and to be extra vigilant always adding that they must demonstrate total commitment to their duty to the nation irrespective of the circumstances.
Bassey further stated that the retired officers should consider themselves fortunate to have retired from the service with sound health.
Going down memory lane, he noted, you will recollect that some of our colleagues paid the supreme sacrifice along the line under various circumstances, all in the service of our dear nation.