By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
Mogadishu Battalion have emerged winners of the maiden edition of the Cadets Brigade Inter-Battalion Watermanship Competition organised for Army Cadets of 70 Regular Course(70RC).
The event which took place at the Nigerian Air Force Base Dam, Kaduna, is a culmination of a two-week Watermanship Training package organised for Army Cadets of 70RC.
At the end of the competition, Mogadishu Battalion scored a total of 340 points, out of the 400 points obtainable, to emerge first ahead of three other battalions.
Dalet Battalion, on the other hand, came second with 320 points, while Burma Battalion polled a total of 280 points to come third, and Abbysinia Battalion came fourth with a total of 180 points.
During the competition, all four battalions competed in four events, namely, Boat Race, Boat Relay, Casualty Evacuation and Construction and Crossing with Improvised Raft.
The Guest of Honour (GOH), Commandant NDA, Maj Gen IM Yusuf, in his remarks, revealed that the watermanship training embarked on by the cadets is a part of the revised training for cadets of the Academy, which he noted is aimed at making cadets to become versatile in combat in all kinds of terrain.
He also encouraged cadets to always maintain a high morale no matter the situation. In his words ”A soldier’s morale must be seen to be high at all times and in all circumstances.”
Maj Gen Yusuf also used the occasion to thank the Commander of the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering (NASME) and Citizenship and Leadership Training Center for their support throughout the course of the training, as well as during the competition. He equally thanked the Nigerian Air Force for its continuous support to the Nigerian Defence Academy.
High points of the event include the presentation of trophy to Mogadishu Battalion and presentation of certificates to the cadets.
