Leadership We Are Serving Nigeria To The Best Of Our Ability — Badeh By: Bayo Oladeji on August 29, 2013 - 2:56am Speech by the guest of honour air marshal as badeh chief of the air staff at the direct short service commission 22/2013 cadets’ passing out parade ceremony on 23 august 2013 I am delighted to be here today with you on the occasion of the passing out parade of the Direct Short Service Course 22 of the Nigerian Air Force. I am glad to note that this is the 3rd batch of DSSC cadets successfully trained by the Nigerian Air Force since we resumed the independent training of Air Force cadets. The training of these 147 Direct Short Service officer cadets is a confirmation of our determination to sustain our manpower development drive in the face of some challenges experienced at joint training institutions. Today’s event is not only a memorable and significant one in the lives of the passing out cadets but also a crucial landmark for the Nigerian Air Force. Not too long ago the commissioning of just 20 officers into Nigerian Air Force in a year would be a highly celebrated achievement; but today, we have 147 graduands in one batch of the DSSC cadre alone. I commend the Air Officer Command Training Command and the Commander 325 Ground Training Group and their highly dedicated training team for a job well done. It is my belief that the impressive parade which we have just witnessed is reflective of the high standard of training and discipline that the Training Command has imparted on these young and promising officer cadets. To the graduating officer cadets, I congratulate each and every one of you. As we normally say in the military, you have “survived” the most challenging 6-month period of your life. I am confident that you have successfully gone through the Cadet Training School absorbing the intensive academic and military exercises the School packaged for you. In a few minutes from now you will be filing past the saluting dais. That is the traditional military ritual symbolizing your successful completion of the training. The pipping ceremony which comes up shortly afterwards marks the end of your journey as officer cadets and your transformation into the officer corps. Now, I want you to cast your minds back to the long process you went through to be selected as a candidate for this training. Several thousands of your colleagues from the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory turned up to join the Air Force. For one reason or the other, majority of them were not selected. You therefore have every reason to celebrate your success today and give glory to the Almighty God. You must therefore not allow any act of indiscipline, laziness or poor performance to jeopardize your career and disgrace you out of the Service. As an officer, your responsibilities are many and demanding but the military training you have just received has provided you the fundamentals of the military profession. It has inculcated in you basic leadership qualities, command awareness as well as physical attributes to enable you function as an officer and a junior commander. Note that the Nigerian Air Force has a well structured career progression policy for all its personnel. As professionals in your various fields, however, your immediate preoccupation is how best to quickly launch yourself into action, availing the NAF and the nation the special skill for which you were selected to join the Force. Over the years, the Nigerian Air Force has distinguished itself through its contributions to peace and security both locally and internationally. Our enviable performance in operations has earned the NAF a reputation of an efficient and dependable force. As you receive the honour of a Presidential Commission today, you must bear in mind that the Nigerian Air Force is a pace-setting organization reputed for discipline and excellence. I expect you to uphold these virtues and emulate your senior colleagues by imbibing the spirit of the NAF ethics and core values as taught to you in training. You must avoid any misconduct capable of tarnishing the image and reputation of the Service and the nation. You have the rare opportunity of joining the Nigerian Air Force at a crucial period in the history of our country. I therefore charge you to contribute your very best in sustaining the tempo and the gains recorded in the fight against a few misguided elements amongst us. The Government is leaving no stone unturned and we are determined to contribute our quota at ensuring the safety and security of all law abiding citizens of the country. As the Armed Forces is vested with the responsibility of defending the territorial integrity of Nigeria. As young officers, you have a crucial role to play in entrenching peace and security in the country. Be mindful of the fact that you belong to a noble profession and I charge you to go into the field as true and patriotic officers and gentlemen. I want to assure you that the Government is doing everything possible in providing the enabling environment to encourage us all to serve our fatherland to the best of our ability. Although you came from different states and backgrounds, you went through the rigors of military training sharing trenches and rooms with a common sense of purpose and understanding. The differences in cultural and religious inclinations did not matter and posed no obstacles. The esprit de corps cultivated among you remains a bond of friendship that should keep you all together for the rest of your career as one team. On this note, I enjoin us all to build national cohesion that transcend primordial sentiments and rise above interests that tend to tear us apart as a nation. Just as cadets in training, we must abandon narrow and retrogressive agendas and embrace national unity with a common purpose of enthroning peace and stability. Our country deserves peace so that the much needed development that would create employment opportunities for our unemployed youths could be achieved.
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 07:36:29 +0000
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