Air Vice-Marshal (AVM) Kingsley Lar, the Commandant, Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), on Sunday advised the 343 retirees/trainees from Course 01/2020 to make judicious use of their gratuities.

Lar said this at the Thanksgiving Service held for them at the St. Stephen’s Protestant Church, NAFRC, Oshodi.

“As the pastor said during his sermon, you all should stay out of trouble, with the pension you are earning; you don’t need any miracle money to be able to make it.

“So, cut your coat according to your cloth. Think carefully before you do any investment so that you don’t throw away your hard-earned money,” he said.

He also encouraged them to engage actively in community development programmes, sports and religious activities to keep them busy.

“I encourage you to get involved in some community development efforts, engage in sports, be active in churches and religious bodies’ activities so that you will not be idle.

“Idleness is one of the things that we are told leads to the early death of retirees.

“So, I encourage you to enjoy the peace that comes with knowing that you have served your country meritoriously,” he said.

The Commandant also urged the trainees/retirees to continue to be good ambassadors of the Armed Forces, take things easy and enjoy the fruits of their labour.

“Some of you will serve as eyes and ears of government wherever you may find yourselves, and such should be good ambassadors of the Armed Forces.

“So, my advice to you is to take things easy; you are no longer young men, you should relax and enjoy the fruits of the years of your labour.

“Particularly now, that the current administration has made pension a living pension unlike before. So, the pension is good enough even if you don’t do any additional job.

“You have enough to be able to live well with your families,” he said.

The AVM while urging the trainees to make judicious use of the knowledge garnered at the vocational training, said that the country was proud of the retirees as they had done the country proud.

“They had served their country very well and their country is very proud of them.

“That is why the country has deemed it fit to give them six months of intensive vocational training to enable them to retire into a productive and fruitful life.

“We are expecting that they will go and add value to their societies; some will create businesses, employ people,” he said.

He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the present administration for enacting policies that would be making life easier for retirees/pensioners.

“I want to thank the President and the present administration because as of November 2017, the pension of retirees was beefed up.

“So, there is nothing to be afraid of. Go home, enjoy your retirement, enjoy your families but most of all, always be grateful to God,” he said.

The Newsmen reports that while congratulating the 343 trainees, the congregation observed a one-minute silence for those that lost their lives.

He said that NAFRC would give a token to those who couldn’t be physically present at the ceremonies due to social distancing measures put in place due to the Corona Virus pandemic.

Navy Lt. (Rev. Fr.) Maurice Vandu, the Chaplain of Roman Catholic Church, NAFRC, who preached at the event said that it was a significant day in the lives of the trainees.

“It is a very significant day in the lives of the trainees who are passing out. It is good we come together as a family to thank God, to wish them well in their future endeavours in the civil society.

“We pray that God will guide and inspire them so that even outside there, they will continue to be good ambassadors of the Armed Forces,” he said.