The Nigerian Army, on Friday, pulled out 14 Infantry generals from active service in a colourful ceremony in Kaduna.
The retired officers who were pulled out in a parade at the Jaji Military Cantonment, Kaduna, included eight Major Generals and six Brigadier Generals.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the pulling out parade was in line of activities marking the end of the seven-day Combat Arms Training Week.
Combat arms are the Infantry and Armour Corps of the Nigerian Army which are specially and directly involved in battle.
Speaking on behalf of the pulled-out Generals, retired Major General Ahmad Muhammad said the pulling out parade was a recognition of their positive contribution to the Infantry Corps when they were in active service.
Muhammad, a former Commander of the Infantry Corps, added that the honour of pulling them out was also borne out of their positive contributions to the nation while serving at respective commands in the Nigerian Army.
“Pulling us out in such colourful event is a way of giving us back what we have given to the system.
“The strategic intent is to encourage those coming behind us to work hard, diligently,” he said.
Muhammad noted that as retired officers, they would continue to respond to calls towards contributing positively to the development of the Infantry Corps and the Nigerian Army at large.
“Based on our exit dates from active service, we can contribute at different levels of response; based on our exit dates, we can only contribute at strategic levels.
“We will be advising the government on the position they take; we can only add value by contributing and suggesting better ways of doing things,” he said.
He said they would miss the discipline and ‘Esprit de Corps’ (spirit of oneness) in the Nigerian Army.
“We have a structured order in the military; everything is streamlined.
“Before you go to sleep, you arrange your uniform and when you wake up, the first thing is the three ‘S’ which is Shower, Shave and `Shit’.
“There are no interruptions; the military is structured in orderliness, Esprit de Corps and loyalty, which cannot be found anywhere.
“The military is a family and we will miss it.
“However taking us along in its activities, just as we witnessed in the last five days of the Combat Arms week where we served as resource persons, is encouraging,” Muhammad said.
NAN reports that Muhammad was also the reviewing officer of the parade.
NAN
