REMARKS BY THE CHIEF OF THE NAVAL STAFF REAR ADMIRAL AZ GAMBO AT THE DECORATION CEREMONY OF CDRE SD EL-LADAN
PROTOCOL
1. It is with sincere pleasure that I, on behalf of the officers, ratings and staff of the NN, warmly welcome you all to the formal decoration or shipping of stripes for Cdre SD El-Ladan from the rank of Commodore to the two-star flag rank of Rear Admiral in the NN. It is a rare personal honour to have in attendance at this auspicious occasion, a friend of the NN and our dear colleague, Distinguished Senator Abdulaziz Nyako. My dear Distinguished, we deeply appreciate your presence, in spite of your very hectic schedule. Permit me to also extend our heartfelt welcome to other special invited guests, particularly other eminent senior serving and retired officers, including the family members, friends and well-wishers of the celebrant who have taken time out to be part of this ceremony. The NN family remains profoundly indebted to you all for your attendance and continued goodwill.
2. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the significance of today’s occasion is drawn from the critical need for courageous and dynamic leadership in the armed forces. Notably, in the profession of arms, the optimal employment of men and materiel has direct impact on operational outcomes in the theatre and contribution to national security, as a whole. Hence, despite the huge number of annual enlistments into the military, only the most dedicated and loyal rise to the very apex of the profession. Indeed, it is the dream of every officer to reach the peak of his/her career in the Service. However, only a few eventually realise this dream. The ceremony today which is the crowning glory of your hard work, total dedication and loyalty to the Service and by extension the nation is no mean feat. I therefore congratulate you for being selected for promotion to this enviable rank of Rear Admiral. Note that while it takes hard work to reach a glorious height, it takes harder work to remain up there. I therefore unreservedly congratulate and urge you to justify the confidence of a proud and deserving nation.
3. Consequently, the navy and the nation require you to be more dedicated and display unalloyed loyalty to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in order to contribute your quarter to enhance the NN’s ability to address the myriad of maritime security challenges plaguing the nation. As a senior Naval Engineering Officer, your ingenuity, resourcefulness and integrity will be required to reposition the Service in order to discharge its constitutional role towards improved security and prosperity of Nigeria.
4. I want to use this opportunity to congratulate your spouse and family for being the pillar of support to enable you to come this far. On a final note, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari for his continued support to the NN in the discharge of its constitutional role. Once again, Congratulations to our brand new Rear Admiral and onward together.