NDA’s Legacy Must Be Preserved – Former Commandant

Former commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Maj-Gen Chukwuemeka Onwuamaegbu (rtd) has called for the preservation of the institution’s legacies.

He made the call at the launch of a book titled, “Rumbles in the New Academy (RITNA)” written by Sub Lieutenant Olufemi Akinwunmi, recounting his experiences at the academy.

He said tens of thousands of young men and women apply yearly to be admitted into the academy but only a few hundred get chosen saying it is a rare privilege to be selected.

“It is such an important institution in the nation and it is a legacy that we must preserve.”

He noted that even among those selected, only those who are diligent get to the top of their career.

Speaking to cadets, he said, “The journey you are undertaking now is a journey of a lifetime, and like we are advising you outside, if you do it right, you will get to the pinnacle of your career. There are going to be temptations along the way. If you are able to distinguish that which is wrong from which is right, and pull on the path of what is right, there is every chance that you will make it to the top of your career.”

He commended the author for taking the time to document and share his experience.

“For the cadets from the police academy, this is a challenge. By the time you pass out in the next two, three, four years, I want you to, one of you or two, to also come together and document your own experience while you are alive.”

He urged retirees to take exercise seriously.

In his remarks, the author, Sub Lieutenant Olufemi Akinwunmi said he felt the need to document his experiences and that of cadets from the academy in recent times for the younger generations to learn from.

Former National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd) said there’s an evolution, adding that there’s a seismic shift in the thinking of the contemporary military officer from what they used to know several decades ago.

“We are becoming more and more alive with the realities of today and the demands of the contemporary security atmosphere which imposes on us the need for self-preservation,” he said.

Speaking on the book, he said, “And these are the sort of stories that we need to tell people because even we ourselves do not know ourselves at the point of moving into the Nigerian Defense Academy.As soon as you cross that gate and you are adopted in a new company or battalion, as is the case now, you drop your old self and you begin to discover your new self.”

And on the day of commissioning, all you are left with is a new person with a new set of values which you will carry on for the rest of your life.”