Nigeria's Chief Of Defence Staff Calls On President Kabbah

Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria, General A.O. Ogomudia, paid a courtesy call on President Kabbah Friday 7 May 2004 at the Presidential Lodge.

President Kabbah at the ceremony	Senior Military Officials at the ceremony

General Ogomudia who travelled to Sierra Leone to withness the award of peace medals to two of Nigeria's battalions, Nibbat 17 and 18, which are part of UNAMSIL's troops in Sierra Leone and to visit other Nigerian troops within UNAMSIL that are deployed in the country, said he was delighted to be in Sierra Leone. The General said that he was warmly received by the Deputy Minister of Defence, Ministry of Defence officials and others since his arrival. The purpose of his visit, he said, was to build bridges between the armed forces of Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

President Kabbah thanked the General and told him that he was at home in Sierra Leone. He said that Sierra Leone was very grateful to Nigeria for its contribution towards ending the war and remarked that the role of Nigerians in ECOMOG and UNAMSIL remained indellible.

General Ogomudia presenting a gift to President Kabbah	President Kabbah takes a look at a gift from General Ogomudia

"Nigeria was the first country to intervene in order to help stop the conflict in Sierra Leone during which many Nigerians lost their lives," President Kabbah said and asked that a moment of silence be observed in memory of those Nigerians who perished in that conflict.

The President spoke about the very close ties between Nigeria and Sierra Leone and expressed his desire to see that relationship grow from strength to strength.

Deputy Defence Minister Joe Blell with General Ogomudia

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