The military at the weekend warned its retiring personnel to be wary of the freedom of civil life and reject the temptation of joining persons who want to pull the country down.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, who gave the charge, urged the 113 retiring personnel of the armed forces to support President Goodluck Jonathan plan to transform the country.
Admiral Ezeoba spoke at the passing out parade of the retiring personnel held at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), urging the personnel to take solace in the move by the Federal Government to exempt the military from the contributory pension scheme.
Ezeoba, who was represented by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Naval Training Command, Rear Admiral Azubuike Ajuonu, added that the government had also continue to pursue the policy of due process with the aim of ensuring transparency, accountability and rule of law.
He urged them to contribute to the transformation of the country and also to the consolidation of democratic process and national development.
Admiral Ezeoba described members of the armed forces as the most privileged citizens in the country, going by the opportunities made available in the military.
He noted that the post service life was real and full of challenges such as inadequate funds, the management of both mental and physical health, a new social status without the full immunity of the uniform.
The Naval Chief, however, stated that President Goodluck Jonathan was committed to ensuring that military personnel are properly resettled after many years of meritorious service to the nation.
Earlier, the Commandant of the centre, Air Vice Marshal Moses Akisanmi called on the disengaging personnel to continue to toe the line of the military in supporting the growth of democracy in Nigeria, adding that they must show to the civil society that they had passed through a discipline institution.
His words: “Freedom does not consist the absence of restraint, the society will expect a high moral standard and discipline from you, you will have prove in your relationship that you had passed through a highly disciplined institution.
“The Federal Government’s transformation agenda is working in NAFRC and at large in the armed forces, NAFRC’s policy direction as given by the defence headquarters is focused at ensuring the establishment of a legal framework to regulate our operations, expansion of the training curricular to include officers’ course.”
Akisanmi expressed optimism that the additional skills they acquired from the centre would add impetus to their personality and assist them to fit and settle down into civil life. He, however, congratulated them for the successful completion of a six months intensive course of instruction in various department of their choice.
