The Lagos state government has urged the state candidates for the 87th Regular Recruits Intake of the Nigerian Army to be good representatives of the state.

The Lagos state deputy governor, Obafemi Hamzat, made the charge on Wednesday during his visit to the candidates at the Military Cantonment Ikeja.

Mr Hamzat urged them to always remember the sons of whom they are, to remember their homes and upbringing; never to lose their heads; and be rest assured that the state would be behind them.

”Never forget your roots and the values that will shape your character; remember the ‘Omo Luabi’ ethos in us as Yoruba, which should be taken to the military.

”Show 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,” he said.

He urged them to be more determined, as everything in life required determination, stressing that it was important they represented the state and country well.

”Nigeria is the only country we have, and it must be sustained. Anyone who helps sustain one’s country is always rewarded, even with the creator,” he said.

Mr Hamzat also assured them that they were in good hands, and that the Nigerian Army is a professional institution.

According to him, the Nigerian Army is an evolving system, which is getting better; more advanced than before; and more technologically grown.

”I assure you that the experience you will have will be better than the one the officials that precede you had,” he said.

Earlier, in her remarks, the secretary to the state government, Barr. Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, reiterated the commitment of the state government to prioritising the welfare of the Lagos state candidates.

Mrs Salu-Hundeyin said that this was the first time the Lagos state candidates have had it so good.

She said 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 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Adegoke Adetuyi, said that the recruitment commenced with a sensitisation programme.

Mr Adetuyi said that different able-bodied men and women in the different states were called to show interest in the Nigerian Army and defend their nation.

He said that the sensitisation programme was to emphasise that the Nigerian Army does not belong to a particular section of the country.

According to him, there is a career path the candidate can choose to follow by joining the army.

While commending the state government, the army commander 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.

He said that the deputy governor’s presence would further encourage the young men and women and, would assure them that they were not alone, as the state was right behind them to boost their morale.

In his address, the State temporary Recruitment Officer, Maj. Olufemi Okuneye, noted that a total of 409 candidates were initially shortlisted for the exercise; 280 of them were documented; and eventually, 191 candidates succeeded to the medical screening point.

While highlighting the recruitment exercise, Mr Okuneye said that the 87th recruitment team commenced training on June 20 across the different states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

He said that the training would run until July 4, when the candidates would be conveyed to the Nigerian Army Depot in Zaria.

Earlier in his remarks, one of the royal fathers, Oba Of Ibgobi Sabe, HRM Oba Owolabi Adewunmi, said that the present administration had shown its unflagging support for the candidates’ recruitment into the military.

He said that the presence of the traditional rulers at the event signified that the royal fathers were in support of the candidates.

(NAN)