By Evelyn Usman

Retirement without tears after a meritorious career in the military and how to seamlessly integrate into civilian life was the thrust of the message, the military authorities delivered to 343 personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces that recently bowed out of the Military.

Their final pull out from the military life into the civilian life was after undergoing a six-month training on entrepreneurship and management training, at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, NAFRC Oshodi, Lagos, aimed at among others, enabling them to reintegrate into the civil society.

Speaking at the Passing Out Ceremony of the trainees Course 01/21, at the Danjuma hall, NAFRC, Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, charged the retirees to display high level of dedication and discipline as they reintegrate into the society.

The six months pre-retirement course according to the CDS, who was represented by the Acting Chief of Training and Operations, Defense headquarters, Rear Admiral Okon Eyo, was designed to give them the requisite rudiments for a successful reintegration into civil life after a meritorious service to the country.

While expressing optimism that the training would help the discharging servicemen and women enjoy their post-service life and apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired, the CDS stated that it would also afford them opportunity  to take full charge as planners and executors of their personal daily activities.

But he was quick to remind them of the need to manage their freedom to be successful.

He said, “As you graduate today, you are transferred from active military duty to the legion of veterans who continue to make positive contributions to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Remember you remain ambassadors of this Centre as well as the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

“I therefore charge you to remain dedicated, disciplined and maintain the highest level of integrity with which you have served in the past 35 years.

ALSO READ: N1.62bn unremitted funds: Reps summon PPPRA boss for explanations

“The training you acquired in the last six months is to enable you support yourselves and contribute positively to your various societies, thus helping to build a greater nation.

“The society will expect a high moral standard and discipline from you. You will also have to prove in your relationships that you passed through a highly disciplined system. As our well-grounded ambassadors, I believe you are all capable of excelling in your future endeavors and positively influence your environment for the economic development of our dear country.” 

While noting that that post-Service life had its peculiar challenges, among which were management of resources, especially retirement benefits, influences from friends and family members, management of both mental and physical health as well as integrating with the civil society, the CDS, urged them to be proactive in their conduct in order to avoid the challenges.

He said, “It is also risky for you to embark on a new life style that is above your means, or engage in non-lucrative ventures; neither should you abstain from physical exercises.

“I am sure that your training here has exposed you to several vocational opportunities, entrepreneurship procedures and general management skills to alleviate the above mentioned pit falls in order to have a stress-free and meaningful life in retirement.

“In this wise, I urge you to employ the various instructions and skills you have acquired while undergoing training in this Centre for peaceful and productive economic life as you reintegrate into the larger Nigerian civilian society.

“I encourage you to justify the magnanimity of the Federal Government’s recent approval of enhanced welfare packages for retiring members of the Armed Forces by maintaining your loyalty and dedication to the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, he stated, even as he commended the leadership of the Centre for its efforts at ensuring that discharging Armed Forces personnel were exposed to the latest trends in global entrepreneurship and management training.

He said, “In this wise, your reviewed curriculum has enabled trainees to benefit from the modern trends of doing business.

“I am aware that the Commandant has initiated a case to convince appropriate authorities on the need to allocate starter packs in form of cash for trainees upon completion of their course here. I believe this move by the Commandant has reached an advanced stage, and hopefully subsequent courses may benefit from this effort”.

Earlier, the Commandant, NAFRC, Air Vice Marshal Adamu idris, explained that the Centre was established with the mandate of providing quality training on relevant post Service skills to retiring personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, in order to prepare them to face the challenges of integrating into post-Service civil life.

He disclosed that so far about 50,000personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have been trained since inception of the Centre.

A total of    343    trainees of    course 1, 2021, comprising    266 from the Nigerian    Army, 71 from the Nigerian Navy and 7 from the Nigerian Air Force, graduated from the centre.   

According to Air Vice Marshal Idris, “The training we provide helps beneficiaries to be equipped with skills for self-sustenance, earn meaningful income while keeping them positively engaged. This enables them to contribute meaningfully to their various societies thus reducing crime, criminality as well as other vices from our society.

“The Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre is well-positioned to optimally deliver on its core mandate of vocational training not just for only retiring personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria but also for all Nigerians.”

Pursuant to this belief, the available human and capital resources have been harnessed to transform the Centre into a world class institution and a Centre of excellence, where international best practices in vocational  training is the norm.”

Vanguard News Nigeria