It gives me great pleasure to receive you all today for the inaugural ceremony for the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2018 and the activities for Op LAST HOLD. NADCEL, as you all know has been an annual event which was first celebrated on 6 Jul 78 in remembrance of the tragic events of the Nigerian Civil War. It is also used as a platform for the NA to reflect on its performance and celebrate its achievements.
2. This year, the NADCEL is scheduled to hold from 1 – 6 Jul 18 and it is intended to celebrate NA achievements and also to showcase the NA’s operational activities as well as its transformational strides in innovation, research and development, civil military relations and technological advances. More importantly, the NADCEL 2018 will provide an opportunity for participants and guests to be embedded in a real life military operation codenamed Op LAST HOLD.
3. The fusion of a full scale military operation with the NADCEL is a novelty which supports the drive to enhance professionalism in the NA. It is also in line with my vision for the NA which is “to have a Professionally Responsive Nigerian Army in the Discharge of its Constitutional Roles”. In view of the need to commence preparation towards ensuring a successful NADCEL 2018, there was a need to convene a Committee to plan and organize the activities for the joint conduct of Op LAST HOLD and NADCEL 2018.
4. As Committee members you have all been selected based on the appointments you hold, your individual astuteness and my personal observations about your character and ability to deliver on assigned tasks. I am thus very hopeful that you will carry out this task with the utmost attention and dedication to ensure we have the best NADCEL. I have directed that the NA’s innovative exploits be showcased during the NADCEL via a trade fair. You must therefore work with the Adamawa, Borno and Yobe State Governments to ensure we have a successful trade fair. In this regard, I wish to thank the representatives from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states who are here today for honouring our invitation to serve on this Committee.
5. The Committee is to note the Terms of Reference and ensure that all tasks are completed on time. On this note, it is my pleasure to officially inaugurate the Committee to plan and organize activities for Op LAST HOLD and NADCEL 2018.
