*Says he is a true culture ambassador
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has described the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, as a true cultural ambassador of Nigeria.
The CDS made the remark when he received in audience a delegation comprising the executive members of the Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF) and top management of NCAC led by the DG to the Defence Headquarters on a courtesy visit.
The CDS stated that he was elated to receive the delegation, adding that the visit provided a platform for them to rub minds and share experiences on ways the military can collaborate with the NCAC to promote a robust civil–military relationship through arts and culture.
Irabor, who stressed that the armed forces’ cardinal role is the protection of the nation’s territorial integrity, believed that such roles can also be achieved using culture as a veritable tool.
“The defence of the territorial integrity of the nation is the defence of its culture,” the CDS added.
Speaking earlier, Runsewe commended the CDS for the renewed energy and collaborative efforts to decimate terrorism and insurgency in the country.
He explained that the NCAC is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring sustainable peace, national security, and social harmony using culture and other soft diplomatic platforms.
According to Runsewe, NCAC and the Nigerian Armed Forces are two sides of the same coin as culture and peace are synonymous strategy that the military and the NCAC can forge a partnership in the task of propagating peace and enhancing national unity.
The NCAC boss opined that the military can collaborate with the NCAC by utilising the platforms of the International Arts and Crafts Expo as well as the National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST) for reaching out to Nigerians and getting close to the civil populace by incorporating cultural contents into some of its programmes.
Runsewe, who doubles as the President of the NGF, also advocated the staging of a golf tournament in one of the six geo-political zones of the country on rotational basis during the Armed Force Remembrance Day celebrations to bring the military closer to the people and elicit enhanced civil support for military operations.
Irabor, in his response, promised full participation of the Armed Forces at NAFEST 2022 to be hosted by Lagos in November, adding that the Armed Forces will utilize the platform to showcase the rich collections of the military since its creation.
He also promised to incorporate a golf tournament in next year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebrations.
There were exchanges of souvenirs between Irabor and Runsewe during the visit.
The occasion also featured the unveiling of Air Commodore B.D. Solomon as the Vice President of the NGF.