Abubakar Ndalolo, the army’s chief of training, on Wednesday told the graduating cadets of the Nigerian Defence Academy that the sanctity of Nigeria’s national interest was paramount and non-negotiable at all times.

Mr Ndalolo stated this at the ‘Beating of the Retreat and Award Giving Ceremony’ in honour of the ‘Passing out Cadets’ of  the 72 Regular Course, Short Service Course, 48 Army, Direct Short Service Course 33 Air Force, and Branch Commission 2 Air Force, at the RSM Oliver Nzalgana parade group, NDA Afaka, Kaduna.

He said the ceremonial beating of the retreat traditionally marked the successful completion of a period of duty. evoking a sense of fulfilment and closure.

Mr Ndalolo said, “For the Nigerian Defence Academy, the beating of the retreat embodies the elation of concluding a training year. It signifies a milestone in the development of officer cadets or the culmination of years of preparation for commissioning as an officer in the Nigerian Armed Forces.”

According to him, transforming young men and women from diverse backgrounds, with varied experiences and aspirations, into a unified group of highly trained individuals dedicated to defending Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity was no small feat.

“This achievement has brought us all to this moment, specially crafted to celebrate excellence. Today, we also honour those who have excelled through excellent performances with well-deserved awards. Throughout your training, particularly in the past year, you have undergone rigorous skill-building exercises, both as individuals and as teams, designed to foster confidence and unity.

“I congratulate all prize-winning cadets, teams, and battalions for their outstanding achievements in the past year. To those who did not receive prizes this year but will still remain at the academy, let the success of your peers inspire you to strive harder and strengthen your team spirit.

“To the officer cadets for whom this event marks the culmination of a long, demanding journey towards becoming officers, I urge you to maintain the strong camaraderie forged here at the academy,” he explained.

Mr Ndalolo stated that the cadets would face complex security challenges, including conflicts with national armed forces and organised networks of violent non-state actors. He reminded the cadets of their constitutional duty to uphold democratic subordination to civilian authority and protect Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

The chief of training  restated that the sanctity of Nigeria’s national interest was paramount and non-negotiable at all times. He also  cautioned the cadets that the final days of their training were critical and that they must remain focused to earn their commission.

(NAN)