Manage your freedom properly, Buhari advises newly retired soldiers

President Mohammadu Buhari on Friday in Lagos advised 669 personnel who retired from the Nigerian Armed Forces to manage their freedom properly for a successful life after service.

Buhari gave the advice during his address to retired soldiers at the Nigerian Armed Forces Ressetlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi.

The President was represented by the Chief of Administration, Defence Headquarters, Rear Adm. Sylvanus Abba.

He added that the society would expect a high moral standard and discipline from them.

”Probably for the first time for some of you, you will have to be planners and executors of your personal daily activities.

”It may sound interesting and promising but beware; you need to manage your freedom properly to be successful.

”The society will expect a high moral standard and discipline from you and you will have to prove in your relationship that you passed through a highly disciplined system,” he said.

Buhari said he was confident that the retired soldiers were capable of succeeding and positively influencing their environment.

”It is believed that your training here has exposed you to several skills acquisition; entrepreneurship and general management expertise.

”It is on this background that I admonish you to employ the rudiments of the various instructions and skills for peaceful and productive living as you integrate into the civil society,” he said.

Buhari also assured the retirees that the Federal Government was committed to ensuring that the service personnel were properly resettled after dedicated service to the country.

”The government has vigorously stemmed the tide of curruption, while pursuing due process towards ensuring transparency, accountability and rule of law.

”This is in order to stimulate durable socio-economic development for improved living standards of the society at large,” he said.

Buhari reminded the retired personnel about the security challenges confronting the country, adding that much was expected from them in contributing their quota as retired personnel.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Commandant of NAFRC, Air Vice Marshall Abubakar Liman, urged the retired personnel to uphold the professional ethics which they imbibed while in service.

The Commandant also reminded them that the society they were going back to expected much from them as retired members of the armed forces,

”I urge you all to be obedient to constituted authority.

”I am glad to inform the service chiefs that this set of trainees are indeed worthy ambassadors of their services.

”The retired personnel include 390 soldiers from the Nigerian Army, 144 from the Nigerian Navy and 135 from the Nigerian Air Force.

”Throughout the six months they stayed at the centre, the retired officers were trained in different vocational skills which include tailoring, shoe making, welding, baking, fish and farming,” he said.

Present at the ceremony were top brass in the military both serving and retired.