The Nigerian Army’s 113 generals have retired or are scheduled to retire this year, despite the Minister of Defense, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, praising them for their selfless dedication to maintaining national stability and their willingness to make sacrifices.
Additionally, the Minister guaranteed that their pension benefits would be paid on time.
On Tuesday, December 19, 2023, at the Armed Forces Officers’ Mess in Asokoro, Abuja, during a Regimental Dinner Night hosted in honor of the recently retired and retiring senior officers, Badaru provided the assurance.
According to a release from Brig-Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, head of Army Public Relations, the honorees included 44 Brigadier Generals, 67 Major Generals, and one General who bowed out of the Nigerian Army, after meritorious and dedicated service without blemish to the nation within the year.
The minister assured the retirees that the government would promptly pay their pensions and asked them to think wisely about the next stage of their lives.
Badaru greeted the retirees with a salute, thanking them for their outstanding service and love of their country. He also thanked their spouses for their tenacity.
According to the minister, the event gave the Nigerian Army a chance to consider its service and extreme dedication, as shown by the senior commanders who are retiring.
He urged the armed forces to uphold the ethos of democratic support in Nigeria and abroad and to continue being obedient.
He continued by saying that the Armed Forces’ attitude toward democracy has made them a model for democracy in West Africa and a powerful force in the comity of nations.
He claimed that the knowledge and abilities they have gained from their time in the military, along with their steadfast commitment to diversity as a guiding principle, will provide them a huge advantage when they leave the service.
According to Badaru, the federal government would keep doing everything in its power to enhance the wellbeing of active duty and retired soldiers.
In his speech, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), urged the retired senior officers to give thanks to God and the Nigerian Army for their successful journey through the “noble profession of arms” and reaching the point of honorable retirement from active duty.
The spouses and families of the retired senior officers were thanked by the COAS for their endurance and assistance in maintaining the home front.
Gen. Lagbaja conveyed his appreciation to the National Assembly, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Defense Ministers for their unwavering support of the Nigerian Army.
He reiterated the Army’s unwavering commitment to the President and the country in the performance of its constitutional duties, which include protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
Major General Victor Ezugwu (Rtd) expressed gratitude to the COAS on behalf of retired generals for the honor bestowed upon them and promised to continue serving as excellent representatives of the Nigerian Army after retirement.
Highlights of the occasion included President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, receiving a devoted toast and certificates of record of service and mementos from retiring and retired senior officers.