Commandant urges NAFRC trainees, retirees to be mindful of swindlers

Sun, Sep 20, 2020
By editor
4 MIN READ

Politics

AVM Kingsley Lar, the Commandant, Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi on Sunday urged the trainees/retirees to be mindful of criminally-minded people who may pose as friends.

The Commandant made this known at the thanksgiving service held for officers who graduated from the Senior/Mid-Level Officers’ Entrepreneurship and Management Course 01/2020 and NAFRC Trainees Course 02/2020.

The thanksgiving service held at the Roman Catholic Church, NAFRC.

Lar said that it was typical of some criminally-minded people to want to dupe the retirees of their hard earned money, thereby urging to also be wary of quick money making schemes.

“Typically, we live in a society where there are many criminally-minded people who don’t care what labour you went through to be able to acquire the small resources you have.

“So, sometimes these people pick on gullible people in the society and sometimes innocent people who are looking for an investment to put their resources, they get duped and lose their hard earned income.

“So, our trainees, particularly those that are retiring after this course who have served 35 years and some less, courtesy of the current administration of government, retirement benefits have been enhanced substantially,” he said.

The Commandant urged the retirees on careful appraisal of business opportunities in order to ensure that they spend their benefits wisely.

“So, my advice to them is that they should be careful how they handle the resources that would be given to them when they finally disengage, they should shine their eyes.

“My advice is that they should be careful what they invest in and be careful who they relate with because alot of fair-weather friends will want to come around them to try to take the little that they have,” he said.

Lar said that the trainees/retirees have been provided with the skills they need in case of additional income asides their benefits.

“We have provided them with entrepreneurship skill, management skills ,some vocational training to be able to cope, if they want additional income.

“Because, like I said the benefits are actually enough for them to live well after retirement. But to be engaged in doing other things, some of them might want to invest,” he said.

Reacting to other para-military, government agencies joining the scheme, the commandant said that he was elated that other sister agencies joined the course.

“I am delighted because when I came in I discovered that this Centre is a national asset where we can train not just the Armed Forces but every Nigerian that is qualified.

“So, I am happy to announce that both the senior officers entrepreneurship course, mid level and the trainees course, all of them have people from the para-military and from strategic ministries, department and agencies of government.

“We have from Customs, Defence Intelligence Agency, National Intelligence Agency ,Department of State Services and also from Resettlement Centre ,we selected some of our senior civilian staffs and officers to participate in the three courses.

“For me it is a thing of joy to see that they have made friends, establish linkages that will be useful to them,” he said.

He also thanked the Defence Headquarters for approving for other sister agencies to join the training scheme.

“The Centre is already known to be a Centre of excellence for vocational training ,what is different is that we now have people who didn’t know about it joining.

“The centre of what we are doing here is agriculture. So, we expect them to go back and feed the nation, feed their communities and make money in the process and also improve their feeding,” he said.

Navy Lt. (Rev. Fr.) Maurice Vandu, the Chaplain of Roman Catholic Church, NAFRC, also enjoined the trainees/retirees to continue to be good ambassadors of the Armed Forces.

He urged them to utilise their benefits judiciously and also put into practice the skills and knowledge acquired.

Maj. Isah Yakubu, the Imam, NAFRC Mosque on Sept. 18 who preached on repentance and forgiveness, urged the retirees to forgive anyone who may have offended them during their service years and training.

The various courses conducted in the centre include Agriculture which comprise of Rabbitry, Fisheries etc, Engineering, Technical, Management, Security etc.

NAN reports that the institution plays a crucial role in preparing military personnel for economically useful life after service. The Passing Out Ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 25. (NAN)

– Sept. 20, 2020 @ 15:35 GMT |

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