Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has charged the state candidates for the 87th regular recruit intake of the Nigerian Army to be good representatives of the state, saying that they should always remember the sons of whom they were and never lose their heads.
The deputy governor gave the charge on Wednesday during his visitation to the candidates at the Military Cantonment Ikeja, urging them to always remember their homes and upbringing, and be rest assured that their state was behind them.
Hamzat, while expressing his happiness for the successful enlistment, further urged them to remain composed and level-headed at all times, saying that they should “never forget your roots and the values that will shape your character.”
He enjoined them to remember the ‘Omo Luabi’ ethos in them “as Yoruba which should be taken to the military, showing that you can build a country that is better than the ones our fathers have built and that is capable of making you a better soldier.”
The deputy governor then urged them to be more determined, noting that everything in life required determination, stressing that it was important they represented their state and country well.
“Nigeria is the only country we have and it must be sustained, and anyone who helps to sustain one’s country is always rewarded even by the creator,” he assured.
Hamzat equally assured them that they were in good hands, saying that the Nigerian Army is a professional institution, an evolving system, which he said was getting better.
“It is more advanced than before, more technologically grown, and I assure you that the experience you will have will be better than one the officials that precede you had,” Hamzat said.
He, therefore, prayed that they would continue to succeed and become better soldiers than those they met before.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr. Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, earlier In her remarks, reiterated the commitment of the state government to the prioritization of the welfare of the Lagos State Candidates, noting that this was the first time they had had it so good.
She added that the government deliberately provided conducive accommodation, feeding, and other welfare packages to ensure that the candidates experienced unusual welfare.
In his remarks, the Commander 9 Bridge of the Nigerian Army, Major General Adegoke Moses Adetuyi, noted that the recruitment exercise commenced with a sensitization programme to the different able-bodied men and women in the different states to show interest in the Nigerian Army and for them to defend their nation.
According to him, the sensitization programme is to emphasize that the Nigerian Army does not belong to a particular section of the country and that there is a career path the candidate can choose to follow by joining the Army.
The Army Commander, while commending the state government, appreciated the presence of the deputy governor for identifying with the indigenes of Lagos State who had chosen to pursue their careers in the Nigerian Army, noting that his presence would further encourage the young men and women, boost their morale and, would let them know that they were not alone and that the state was right behind them.
The State Temporary Recruitment Officer, Major Okuneye, in his address, noted that a total of 409 candidates were initially shortlisted for the exercise, saying that 280 of them were documented, while 191 candidates eventually succeeded to the medical screening point.
Okuneye, while highlighting the recruitment exercise, disclosed that the 87th recruitment team commenced training on the 20th of June across the different states of the federation and the federal capital territory, saying that the training would run till the 4th of July when the candidates would be conveyed to Depot of Nigerian Army, Zaria.
Earlier in his remarks, one of the royal fathers, Oba of Igbobi Sabe, Oba Owolabi Adeyemi Adewunmi, emphasized that the present administration had shown its unflagging support for the candidates’ recruitment into the military.
The monarch noted that the presence of the traditional rulers at the event signified that all of them in the state were in their support.
He, therefore, congratulated the candidates on their success on the first step to serving the nation, describing their courage as encouraging.
ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
