Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu has urged retiring military personnel to uphold integrity, exercise financial discipline, and avoid fraudulent investment schemes as they prepare for life after service.
Shaibu gave the charge during the Graduation Dinner Night for participants of Pre-Discharge Course 1/2026 at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, Lagos, ahead of their passing-out ceremony scheduled for June 11.
Represented by the Commander of the Nigerian Army Corps of Engineers, Major General Shamsideen Shafaru, the Army chief warned the retiring personnel against rushing into unfamiliar investment opportunities that could wipe out benefits accumulated through decades of military service.
He advised the graduands to carefully scrutinize investment offers and conduct proper due diligence before committing their retirement funds.
“The need for financial prudence cannot be overemphasized,” Shaibu said. “You must avoid deceptive investment schemes and financial misadventures capable of undermining the security you have built through years of dedicated service.”
The Army chief said retirement should not be viewed as the end of productive service but as the beginning of another phase of national contribution.
He urged the retiring personnel to remain worthy ambassadors of the Armed Forces and continue contributing to peacebuilding, community development, and national growth.
Shaibu congratulated the graduands on completing the pre-retirement training programme, noting that many had served the country in difficult operational environments and made significant sacrifices in defence of Nigeria's security and territorial integrity.
He also commended the leadership of NAFRC for improvements in infrastructure, personnel welfare, and curriculum development, describing the reforms as vital to preparing retiring service members for successful civilian careers.
In his remarks, NAFRC Commandant Air Vice Marshal Nnaemeka Ignatius Ilo reinforced the message of integrity and responsible living, urging participants to remain disciplined, law-abiding, and focused after retirement.
“I urge you to remain disciplined, focused and law-abiding. Continue to uphold the core military values of integrity, integrity, integrity,” Ilo said.
“I repeat those words three times because that is what will differentiate someone dealing with you while you are out there.”
The commandant said integrity, loyalty, patriotism, professionalism, and hard work would remain critical to the success of former military personnel in civilian life.
“Loyalty, patriotism and hard work remain some of the pillars on which you must rest your hopes,” he said. “Please make productive use of the vocational and entrepreneurial skills acquired during your training here.”
Ilo said NAFRC remains committed to equipping retiring personnel with vocational, entrepreneurial, and management skills needed for self-reliance and successful reintegration into society.
He also encouraged the participants to maintain healthy lifestyles and make informed financial decisions as they transition into civilian careers.
The commandant paid tribute to the spouses and families of the retiring personnel, acknowledging their sacrifices and unwavering support throughout years of military service.
Speaking on behalf of the graduands, the General Course Senior, AWO Patrick Aboho, thanked the management and instructors of NAFRC for what he described as a transformative training experience and pledged that participants would continue to uphold the values of the Armed Forces after retirement.
The event brought together military officers, family members, and invited guests to celebrate the successful completion of the course and the transition of another batch of service personnel into civilian life.
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