Personality in Focus
Military’s Face of the Nation, You Must Not Devalue It – GOC 81 Division, Gen Ajunwa
The General Officer Commanding 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, comprising Lagos and Ogun States, Major General Obinna Ajunwa, has warned against devaluing the military, saying that such action has a chain reaction, as it reverberates on the collective existence of the people, and affects what the country holds dear in terms of internal unity, national cohesion and international recognition.
Ajunwa made this remark while playing host to a cross section of the Executive members of the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) in his office on Monday. The General noted that the army, and by extension the military, is the face of the nation, and by no means or circumstance should be rubbished, because an attack on the military through false reports is an attack on the very essence of the people and the nation itself.
“The Military is the face of the nation. If we rubbish it we are rublishing our face. The Army belongs to us as Nigerians. In the Nigeria society, and even elsewhere, the strength of the people is the military. And when the top is dropped, it will definitely affect the other component parts.
He maintained that the military will continue to strive to to keep the peace and security of the nation, while calling on the citizenry, especially the press to assist in the patriotic act through verified publications, and most importantly publications that has national security and interest as consideration
“False reports devalues the military, Nigeria and the people. Once you devalue the military, every other persons in the nation is devalued. Always endeavour to report correctly and avoid false information as it could destroy the nation and paint it in bad light, thereby giving a signal of negativity.
“We must understand that when a country’s military is tainted with negativity, it spiraled on other aspects of that country’s endeavours. That is why the military is the face of the nation, and must not be devalued,” Ajunwa said.
Earlier, the leader of the NAOSNP delegation and President of the Association, Mr. Samson Oki, has briefed the GOC and his team of officers on the need for the division to synergise with the Association to curb the initiation and spread of fake news, which is detrimental to the psyche and peaceful co-existence of Nigerians.
“It is our intention to cooperate with the military, and the army in particular to further engender military/media relationship to continue to fight the war against fake news, which is capable of causing mayhem, for the good of the people.
“Our Association is known for discipline, professionalism and dedication to the Nigerian project, and in the best position to understand that national interest supersedes parochial or personal interest, and that is what we have sworn to uphold,” Oki said.
In his vote of thanks, the Public Relations Officer of NAOSNP, Mr. Eric Elezuo, appreciated the Nigeria Army for the job well done, which have remained their hallmark in recent times, and the GOC 81 Division, Ajunwa, who has been exemplary since he assumed office in August 2022.
“While partnering with you in this task of nation building and defence, we must acknowledge your success stories in the field and with the civil populace. The army has distinguished itself, and remained above board. We also acknowledge the giant strides Major General Ajunwa has taken since he assumed duties about three months ago. We are not oblivious of these milestones, and ask that they be sustained,” Elezuo said.
In attendance at the meeting were ranking military officers including the Commander 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, Brigadier General Kingsley Nwoko; Commander 81 Div Provost Group, Brigadier General ML Abubakar; Commander 55 Signal Brigade, Brigadier General EO Oshunsan; Chief of Staff HQ 81 Division, Brigadier General MB Wabili and Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Colonel JK Maigari.
Other members of the NAOSNP team in attendance were Miss Ebere Obinagwam, Mr. Kazeem Bakene, Mr. Friday Etim and Mr. Femi Arikawe.
Personality in Focus
Tinubu Sends Nami on Three Months Retirement Leave, Appoints Adedeji As FIRS Boss
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Zacch Adedeji as the new acting executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Tinubu also directed Muhammad Nami, the current FIRS chairman, to proceed on three months of pre-retirement leave, as provisioned by Public Service Rule (PSR) 120243, with immediate effect.
The leave would lead to Nami’s eventual retirement from service on December 8, 2023, according to a statement on Thursday, by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president on media and publicity.
Ngelale said Adedeji’s appointment, according to directives of the president, takes immediate effect.
He was also the executive secretary and chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).
Nigeria’s first indigenous chartered accountant, Akintola Williams, is dead.
The doyen of accounting died at the age of 104.
According to a source, who does not want to be mentioned, Williams died at his house in Lagos, on Monday (today).
The graduate of accounting at the University of London was born in 1919.
Dr. Ifekandu Bennett Omalu is a native Of Urunnebo Village, Enugwu Ukwu In Njikoka Local Government Area Of Anambra State.
Born on September 1st, 1968. He attended both primary and secondary schools in Nigeria. And for his tertiary education he proceeded to the University of Nigeria Nsukka, where he acquired MBBS degree in Medicine and Surgery.
He is currently a Professor of medical pathology and laboratory science at the University of California.
Subsequently he acquired his MPH from the University of Pittsburgh and his MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. He is the first person in the world to discover and publish findings of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in American football players while working at the Allegheny County Coroner’s Office. He’s now the Chief Medical Examiner for San Joaquin County, California. And a professor at UC-Davis.
Dr. Bennet Omalu came to the United States in the 1990’s at the age of 26, to finish his Medical Residency. Through hard work that is just the nature of his Igbo race, he is today, one of the foremost Nero pathologists in the world and is best known for discovering and studying CTE, a degenerative brain condition affecting American football players.
This doctor from Anambra, Nigeria changed the perspective about the safety of some sports through his research into the lives of former N.F.L players. Later a study in Sweden confirmed him absolutely right by revealing that if your child suffers from one concussion they are more likely to die before the age of 42 and more likely to develop psychiatric issues. The Sweden research discovered that N.F.L players were dying or killing themselves less than 20yrs after retirement-which is in their 30’s usually. Exactly something Dr. Omalu confirmed years back.
Worried by the sad fate of some retired NFL players, Dr. Omalu went into research to find out why. In his research, he discovered that “Concussion” was the reason. Amazingly the facts where denied by NFL who felt threatened that his research will destroy their multi billion dollar industry. They fought back to make sure that his research was hidden for years. Dr. Omalu didn’t give up out of fear, getting the truth across to the world was far more important to him than his life. As a result of the Igbo courageous blood in him, that makes the average Igbo person to survive and succeed against all odds, without respect to the hearse and hardest environment, Dr Omalu fought through threats and verbal abuse to get the great scientific discovery to world.
When his research went through, it became so popular and celebrated to the extend that Mr Will Smith, the iconic American actor had to portray him in a movie titled “Concussion”. Where he is credited with finding out the harsh repercussions of contact sports on children and adults. The movie Concussion starring Will Smith playing Dr Omalu the founder of the disease CTE that causes something he found out that messes a lot of football players heads up really bad from so much brain rocking contact was a worldwide hit.
Dr. Bennet Omalu is equally the author of the book, Truth Doesn’t Have A Side: My Alarming Discovery About The Danger Of Contact Sports. Dr. Omalu wrote this book, to help parents answer the question ‘Do I love football more than I love my child ?’
It is our hope that sooner or later Dr Omalu will be awarded the Nobel prize in medicine for his research that is saving lives all over the globe.
Happy Birthday to this globally acclaimed Enugwu Ukwu-Born, Award Winning Pathologist, Dr Bennett Omalu.
