The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, has urged military veterans to be drivers of peace, unity and progress within their neighbourhood.
A statement by Deputy Director Defence Information Air Commodore Wap Maigida on Thursday, said the CDS made the appeal at a one day security parley with retired senior military officers in the South-west.
The CDS said that military veterans could become the mouthpiece of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
He noted that they are qualified and knowledgeable in defence and security matters to undertake the task of security enlightenment and sensitization in their domain.
Gen. Irabor added that the AFN intend to leverage on the security meeting to boost the ongoing military operations, saying both serving and retired personnel are sold-out to the cause of unity, faith, peace and progress of the nation.
In his remarks, the Chief of Defence Military Cooperation (CDCMIC), Rear Admiral Fredrick Ogu said the participants were expected to bring some salient issues to the attention of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) and also proffer solutions.
He said the South-west interactive meeting is being held in Ibadan due to the cosmopolitan nature of the city and Lagos, both experiencing series of emerging security threats.
Rear Admiral Ogu highlighted that the participants would deliberate on the various security challenges confronting the Southwest.
The CDCMIC further disclosed that the security parley would be replicated in the other five geo-political zones at selected state capitals and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Also, the General Officer Commanding, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Gold Chibuisi while thanking the CDS for hosting the maiden edition of the security parley in Ibadan, noted that it was indeed apt and timely given the emerging security threats experienced in the city of Ibadan and its environs in recent months.
