Some officer cadets, who were enlisted
in the recent Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC) and Short Service
Combatant (SSC) Course 43 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), have
accused the authorities of an alleged unlawful and unjustifiable
withdrawal from the NDA, after undergoing the mandatory training.
Narrating their ordeals to Peoples
Daily in Abuja, one of the affected officer cadets, who declined to
disclose his name said the last SSC Course 43 members that just past out
of the NDA had 10 cadets ‘unlawfully’ withdrawn after about five months
into the training, even as 16 others were also withdrawn a night before
their passing out on the 11th of September 2015.
According to him, the authorities claimed that they didn’t pass map reading.
They pleaded with President Muhammadu
Buhari and the military authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter
with a view to ascertaining the true position of things and reabsorb
them into the army, as according to them, their ‘unlawful withdrawal’ is
a time bomb really waiting to explode.
“The Nigerian Army published
application for Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC) and Short Service
Combatant (SSC) Course 43 by mid 2014 and so many willing Nigerians
applied, and names of successful candidates for screening for each state
were published and were eventually screened at both Jaji for the DSSC
and NDA for the SSC candidates respectively.
“On our arrival at the NDA, we were
also screened for Ebola and the first point of screening was the
credential screening for each candidate. The next screening was
comprehensive as it entails and covers the whole test to ascertain the
well being of each candidate and those found wanting in any area were
sent packing at each stages of the screening. The screening includes but
not limited to ECG, Hepatitis, full blood test, eye test, weight,
height, flat foot, x-ray, blood pressure, scan, urine test, heart rate
and any other medical test to ascertain the wellness of each candidate.
“After the medical, comes the 3.2km
race in 18 minutes, then obstacle crossing. It is after this rigorous
screening exercise that those that passed will wait and be hopeful for
the final enlistment into the Nigerian Army. The final names were
published and those that passed were to resume at the NDA by September
2014 which was later postponed to January 3rd, 2015.
“Few weeks into the training we were
tested and those that tested positive to drugs were withdrawn.
Subsequently, we noticed this propaganda that some cadets were having
high blood pressure and others were said to be having color vision
problem but these same cadets were tested and passed through the
screening.
“Four to Five months into the training
when these cadets have gone for camp initial, drill square test, oath
taking ceremony, novices boxing and even attended bush camps coupled
with being grounded in weapon training and handling, tactics, map
reading and other courses making up to 23, there were withdrawn that
they were medically unfit, without any fair hearing and with hatred,
malice and injustice in a conspiracy and lie oriented medical report by
both the CO Medical And Co Ashanti Battalion. The commandant and his
deputy never took time to grant the cadets fair hearing and just worked
on the report from the Medical CO.
“On leaving the academy, the cadets
went to do a thorough check up and discovered nothing was wrong with
them all effort to fight for their rights and get someone to lis ten to
their cries proved abortive as it is said that that is the normal
trend.
“This war on insurgency, terrorism,
kidnapping and more will not stop if the Nigerian Army through the
Nigerian Defence Academy keeps training officers for 5 to 9 months and
unlawfully withdraw them. These cadets have been well trained on weapon
training, tactics, and map reading just to mention a few. They are
equipped and have mastered and known in and out of the military
operations. I indeed fear the effect on the country”, he stated.
When contacted, the Adjutant Ashanti
Battalion, Capt. Lezuya, declined comment on the matter, saying he was
no longer the Adjutant as he has been moved to Jaji. He, however,
directed our correspondent to speak to the NDA authorities for further
enquiries.
When our correspondent contacted the
NDA, the spokesperson of the Academy was said to be away on a seminar,
but a source at the institution who will not want his name on print said
the cadets withdrawn from the institution must have breached rules and
regulations of the Academy, adding that even an hour before the Passing
Out Parade, a cadet can still be withdrawn.
There is another thinking that the
withdrawal might not be unconnected with the recent presidential
directive that the institution must ensure that only gallant officers
were commissioned into the military.
Investigation further revealed that all
cases of withdrawal pass through the Academy disciplinary board headed
by deputy commandant and two members of the selection board.
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