9 senior military officers graduate from ASCON, Badagry 

Nine senior military officers of the Nigerian Army on Friday graduated from the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) in Badagry, Lagos State, after completing a nine-month Executive Management Course.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the officers are: Maj.-Gen. Adekunle Shodunke, Maj.-Gen. Temitope Ademola, Maj.-Gen. Abubakar Maikobi and Maj.- Gen. Lukuman Lawal.

Others are: Brig.-Gen. Dominic Udofa, Brig.-Gen. Ibiba Briggs, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim, Col. Gabriel Akpan and Col. Ayuba Da-walang.

The Director General of ASCON, Mrs Cecelia Gayya, while congratulating the graduates, said that the initiative was an eloquent testimony of the Nigerian Army’s love for human capacity development and commitment to effective team work.

According to Gayya, Nigerian Army’s approach to capacity development is unparalleled and one thing that should be emulated across the military and other public sector organisations.

“We are all gathered here today to celebrate another milestone in the lives of the graduating class of 2021.

“Graduation is about endings and beginnings, a celebration of achievement and commencement of a transition to a different chapter in our lives as productive and responsible adults.

“This is the moment we have all been waiting and praying for,” she said.

Gayya said that during the nine-month training programme, the officers conducted themselves with a high sense of responsibility and humility.

“Report reaching me is to the effect that the participants exhibited a high sense of responsibility, humility and discipline throughout the duration of the course.

“They conducted themselves with a high sense of responsibility expected of senior officers of their calibre.

“ASCON is, therefore, always willing and ready to collaborate with the Nigerian Army in human capacity development,” she said.

The DG also congratulated the graduands for successfully navigating the programme in the era of COVID-19 pandemic.

She also thanked the Management, Teaching and Administrative Staff of ASCON for their support and commitments to duty, adding that without them the programme would not have been successful.

Gayya maintained that the college had been pursuing its mandate with great zeal and tenacity in order to make a positive impact on the performance of its graduates in both public and private sectors of the economy.

In his remarks, Maj.-Gen. Adekunle Shodunke, who responded on behalf of the other graduates, said that their nine months of stay in the college was a memorable and interesting one.

Shodunke noted that the training programme had given them more exposure in the field of administration.

He said that the college had more experts in the field of administration and assured them that they would be good ambassadors of the college after their programme.

He also thanked the Nigerian Army for sponsoring them for the training programme at ASCON.