President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has again urged the military to safeguard the economic interests of the country against the disruptive tendencies of terrorists and insurgents.
He made the call yesterday at the combined passing-out parade for cadets of the 72 Regular Course (Army, Navy and Air Force) Short Service Course and Branch Commission Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.
Represented by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu said the military must tackle insurgency to prevent the collapse of the economy, revitalise the armed forces and eradicate all forms of threats to the security of the country.
“I will seize this opportunity to draw your attention to the ills of insurgency and other security challenges in our nation. You must remember that the goal of the insurgents and terrorists is to counteract our developmental reforms by creating counter-states.
“Yours is to safeguard the economic and core values of the nation to prevent the collapse of the economy and revitalise the armed forces, despite the enemies’ indiscriminate violence and baseless propaganda to orchestrate their threats against the state.
“You must never at any time lose sight of the vision of the founding fathers of our dear nation, irrespective of the multiple complex security challenges facing our nation today,” he said.
Tinubu commended the Nigerian Defence Academy for technological approaches in training and military research, focusing on improving efficiency and effectiveness in current and future operations.
He congratulated the cadets, saying there was no better time to prove their valour and demonstrate the virtues upon which the NDA was founded in the defence of their fatherland.
He also commended the institution for the recent overhaul of the training curricula and methodologies in line with the dynamics of the contemporary operational environment.
Over 472 cadets were commissioned into the different arms of the military, with the Army having 218, Navy 135 and Air Force 119, apart from short service cadets. Six cadets were honoured for outstanding performances in academics, military training and extra-curricular activities.
