4 CADETS DIE IN NDA? SEE HOW

Tongues are now wagging in military circles over the
fitness or otherwise of many of the cadets undergoing
training course in the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA),
as well as several others recruited into the armed forces.
The latest revelation followed the death of four cadets who
reportedly died in the nations’ premier military institution,
early October and three weeks after the resumption of
their training.
The NDA, established in the 1960s, runs a five-year
course, four of which is purely for academics with little
military training, leading to the award of B.Sc. or B.A.
honours while the remaining one year is for full military
training.
The premier military institution, for the first time since its
existence, produced female combatants officers in the
Army, Navy and Airforce, last September, while it admitted
about 250 cadets this year, including female cadets.
Following the death of the four cadets, 53 others found
medically unfit for the rigours involved in the training
course were sent packing, even as it has been revealed
that politicians were imposing candidates on the foremost
military institution.
Informed military sources disclosed to our source that the
death of the four cadets in the course of the training
caused much anxiety, forcing the military authorities to
reassess its selection procedure into the academy.
Our source gathered that military board of inquiry
recommended a medical re-examination of all the cadets
selected and admitted for the 2016 academic year, and
discovered that 53 others were not medically fit to be
admitted to go through the strenuous course and were
thus expelled.
It was further disclosed to Saturday Tribune that the
politicians (whose names were not mentioned) are of the
habit of insisting on admission of unfit cadets, as against
the established norm where physical and medical fitness
were parts of the requirement for the admission of would-
be cadets.
This alleged imposition of intending cadets, though said
to be a common phenomenon since the return of
democracy in 1999, has become a source of worry and
concern for the military command, it was learnt.
“The elevation of godfatherism has become more
worrisome as it is depriving a lot of qualified and
medically fit candidates the opportunity to be selected
into the armed forces, unlike what obtained up till the
early 1980s when admission into military institutions was
strictly based on ability to pass all required examinations
and medical tests.
“But these days, the situation is different as intending
candidates now look for politicians from their areas to
submit their names to military authorities, either to be
selected into NDA or to be recruited into the military.
“This has led to pressure on those conducting these
examinations to succumb to the whims and caprices of
the politicians.
“If this situation is not checked, it will destroy the military
which is known for its tradition of discipline because such
unfit candidates are coming from one politician or the
other. The earlier this practice is checked, the better for
the country,” the military source said.

NDA ???