By Stanley Onyekwere
The Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Morakinyo Olotu, has appealed for further cooperation and support of the FCT Administration, especially at its new permanent complex, to ensure the safety and comfort of its students.
While acknowledging the cordial working relationship between the NDC and the FCTA, Olotu expressed appreciation to the Administration for its support to the College over the years, since its relocation to the Territory.
A statement from Director of Press (Office of the Hon. Minister),Anthony Ogunleye, disclosed that the Commandant who made this point recently, during a familiarization visit to the FCT Administration, said the College couldn’t have achieved so much success without the assistance, cooperation and timely assistance rendered to it by the FCT Administration.
According to the NDC boss, the College, which is the highest military training institution within the sub-Saharan region of Africa, has been providing strategic level training to officers and senior officers of the armed forces, the police, paramilitary agencies, ministries, departments and agencies of government as well as foreign officers from allied nations.
The Commandant also revealed that the NDC since its establishment has trained a total of 2,645 participants from the Nigerian Army, the Navy, the Nigerian Airforce, the Nigerian Police Force, other Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well allied participants from 30 African countries and other parts of the world.
He added that the College also has participants from Bangladesh, France, Germany, India, Qatar and Pakistan.
He said, “I assumed leadership of the College on the 6th of July this year, barely three weeks ago and I deemed it necessary to pay homage to our host, the FCT Administration, so, that I will familiarize myself with the leadership, but most importantly to thank the FCTA for all the support rendered to the College over the years, since 1992 when the College moved from Lagos to Abuja.
“It’s been a tremendous and very wonderful working relationship between the College and the FCTA, and I dare state here that the College wouldn’t have been able to achieve anything without the assistance, cooperation and timely help rendered by this office. Thank you very much for all you’ve done for the college.”
esponding, the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, pledged the cooperation of the FCTA, in meeting the requests of the Defence College by channeling its demands and concerns as made known by the Commandant to the appropriate SDAs of the Administration.
Adesola commended the National Defence College for living up to expectation by contributing to knowledge and the development in Nigeria.
According to him, the College has garnered such a great goodwill that has made it a reference point where countries send their officers to continuously engage in training activities.
Also present at the event were the Director of Security Services of the FCTA, Mr. Adamu Gwary, Director DRTS, Dr. Abdulateef Bello, and other senior officials of the FCTA and the NDC.
