Air Vice Marshal Nanandi Ananaba, the Air Officer Commanding Air Training Command, has stated that loyalty to Nigeria must be unwavering.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ananaba spoke on Friday in Kachia, Kaduna State, at the final outdoor training exercise for the Army Cadets of 71 Regular Course and Direct Short Service Course 28.
NAN also reports that the exercise, themed: “Battle Inoculation of Exercise Camp Highland’, was held at the Nigerian Army Table Hill.
NAN further reports that the exercise was organised by the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
Ananaba said, “There is no compromise on this. You should fall in line with the leadership concept of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa.
”Which is to nurture a professional Armed Forces of Nigeria that is people-centric, collaborative, and capable of meeting constitutional responsibilities in a joint environment.
“Battle Inoculation Exercise is an exercise in which once you have gone through it, you become immune to the sound of gunfire and immune to the sound of explosions and bullets flying over your head.”
Ananaba commended the NDA for maintaining this age-long tradition in its training system.
He told the cadets that they were in their final lap of their journey towards the grant of a ‘Presidential Commission’.
Ananaba said, ”You must know that commissioning, you automatically become leaders of men and women in the Nigerian Armed Forces, where much is expected of you.
“I must let you know that the field is yearning for the skills you have acquired during your training.
”Our nation is still faced with numerous security threats ranging from terrorism, kidnapping, banditry to economic saboteurs, amongst others, which the Armed Forces and other security agencies are constitutionally mandated to combat.”
He said the NDA has provided the cadets with all the basic skills, character development, and academic prowess that would enable them to fit into the system.
Ananaba said, “Irrespective of the corps or speciality you may find yourselves in after your commissioning, you must be prepared to be drafted at operations.
”They include counterterrorism, counterinsurgency operations, peace enforcement, peacekeeping, and other operations in aid to civil authority.
“Therefore, be prepared to join your senior colleagues in the various theatres of operation in defence of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our dear nation.
“Go forward with patriotic fervour and courage to discharge your constitutional roles to your fatherland.”
Earlier, the Commandant of NDA, Maj.-Gen. John Ochai, said the cadets, after commissioning, would add value to the armed forces of Nigeria.
Ochai said, ”Our adversaries need to hear this clearly. These cadets are some of the best-trained officers that we are going to commission.
”They are airborne qualified; they did amphibious training and some elements of special forces; they were also introduced to cyber warfare.”
