The Rivers State Commis
sioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, has urged members of the National Defence College to be patriotic.
She made the call while addressing the 23rd set of senior Military Officers, including the police paramilitary and Civilian Counterparts of the National Defence College Abuja during a courtesy visit in her office in Port Harcourt.
Nigeria is lucky to have a military with people who are quite honestly well trained and who were gentlemen who in the main times literally squeeze water out of stone in their attempt to guarantee the security of lives and property and  therefore would ask our military to remain patriotic, and commit themselves to the ideals of higher service in the interest of the country, she said.
While recalling strict measures the State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi had to take in order to restore security in the state on assumption of office in 2007, she noted that the Governor also Instituted conditions that would discourage criminality, disease and poverty, knowing that Port Harcourt was the front line of Niger Delta Militancy.
Part of this, she said, was the declaration of a state of emergency in Education by building schools and also addressing the issues of development and poverty eradication as well as effective health care delivery system by building primary Health Centre (PHC).
Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation, Brigadier General Mahammed Aliu explained that the College goes on an animals fact finding mission in different states, hence their visit to Rivers State on the, “Socio Economic Deveopment through Urban Renewal in Rivers State”.
Brigadier Aliu further said the National Defence College, Abuja, which has been in existence since 23 years ago, has trained officers from all over the world including those from Brazil, the United States, United Kingdom and Pakistan.
The team’s coordinator Air Commodore Olabisi, on behalf of the command and members of the college, thanked the commissioner for the reception accorded them and for the detailed brief given to them about Rivers State Governments efforts towards enhancing the socio-economic development of the state’s urban renewal programe.