Passage
MEMBERS of the 31st Regular Course of Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) have reunited at their first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday in Abuja, to advance the course of their members and the families of their deceased colleagues.
The Chairman of the group, retired Maj.-Gen Adamu Abubakar, who commended the turnout of members said there was need to be together to do things for themselves.
Abubakar said problems were arising resulting from old age, adding that such problems required the members to form a common front.
He said: “our being here today is to remember our journey of life from where we started and where we are today.
“On the journey, there are those we started with but are not with us today and we are not giving God anything extra that made him to keep us alive.
“If we have lost some people, of course we know they have widows and what do we intend to do for those widows to assist them.
“I know we cannot carry all their problems but from what we have been doing, we have been able to handle some of them and ensure that what ever was due to them was paid.
“In the course of organising this occasion, we have been able to write to some people of which some are still pending while some have been fulfilled.
“We have N2 million in the account for that purpose and we are still expecting from those that have pledged to support us and this money will be committed to these widows,” he said.
Abubakar said that the various services were doing their best in ensuring that they pay the benefits of the deceased promptly, adding that the association was just trying to support them.
He said that in addition to the dues payable by all members, some philanthropists were consulted and had shown willingness to support the effort.
A member of the Planning Committee, Retired AVM Ajibola Jekennu, said that the reunion was a nostalgia for the members who had not met for almost 40 years.
He said that the vision of the association was for the members to remain together to be able to make input to the wellness and good of the society.
Another member, Alhaji Muhammed Abbakyari, said that some of the members had not seen each other for upward of 30 years since they departed from the academy.
Abbakyari said the assistance to families of deceased colleagues was not a new initiative, adding that the association had been able to reach out to such families before now.
“Apart from the widow, we have our members that have had serious health challenges which we have been able to reach out to from time to time.
“We do this in two ways, one is to task ourselves and the other way is to ask friends and corporate entities that have been able to assist.
“We just want to formalise it starting from now,” he said.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the AGM would involve the adoption of the association’s constitution, presentation of reports as well as adoption and election of the executive committee members.
NAN
– Oct 27, 2019 @ 11:40 GMT |
Tags: NDA alumni solicits support for deceased members family
