Army chief Lar cautions retirees against illegal businesses

The Commandant, Nigeria Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Kingsley Lar, has cautioned retirees against investing their retirement benefits in dubious businesses.

Lar, who stated this, at the weekend, during the thanksgiving service of NAFRC, described the Centre as a national asset that trains not only army officers, but every qualified Nigerians.

According to him, any prospective business should be adequately scrutinised, adding that the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari substantially enhanced soldiers’ retirement benefits to make them comfortable after service.

He said that with the approval of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), the Centre had integrated personnel of different Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), aside the armed forces, to strengthen ties and empower them for the benefit of the larger society.

He said: “So, we informed Defence Headquarters about the need to integrate other sister agencies and they graciously approved that paramilitary agencies and MDAs of the Federal Government can come here for various courses.

The officiating priest, Lt. Maurice Vandu, admonished the trainees to be grateful to God, as they had contributed their quota to the service of their fatherland and wished them well in their future endeavours.

Also, during the Jumaa’t prayers, the Director of Administration, Brig.-Gen. Taofiki Oladega, who spoke on behalf of the commandant, restated that the centre had improved on the modalities of training to empower soldiers to contribute efficiently after service.

The Centre’s Imam, Major Y.B Isah, enjoined the trainees to imbibe forgiveness, saying that life after service with grudges would make things difficult and not acceptable by Allah.

Master Warrant Officer, Abdulmalik Abdulkadir, one of the trainees, acknowledged that passing through NAFRC training was one of his biggest achievements and that he was ready to build on whatever he had been taught in the civil society.