The Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar has called on African military personnel to explore the opportunities provided by sports and other non-kinetic means to secure the nation amidst contending security challenges, noting that Sports can be used as a non-kinetic means of combating insecurity challenges as well as improve the physical and mental fitness of personnel which makes a difference in combat and international security operations.
The Defence Minister made the call today, 27th January, 2024 while declaring the 2024 Organisation of Military Sport in Africa, OSMA General Assembly Open.
The objective of the General Assembly according to Defence Minister is to further cement esprit de corps, and to improve existing cordial relationships among the armed Forces of member nations, and is intended to form cohesion among member nations to enhance understanding and good work relationships among others.
He said the event will equally provide the platform for armed forces to interact with one another towards sustaining a good relationship built and enjoyed over the years.
Defence Minister noted that the importance of sports and physical fitness to the armed Forces in Africa cannot be overemphasized particularly by this time we are contending with the menace of security challenges.
The OSMA has the capacity to unite various armed forces of African countries by organising different sports to tackle the current security challenges confronting African Countries.
This General Assembly need to be continuously created to facilitate major interaction among personnel in a relaxed and very good atmosphere instead of the battlefield.
Africans need a close relationship, especially in information sharing, training of personnel and the fact that different democratic tendencies among African militaries.
The Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Christopher Gwabin Musa stressed that the 8th General Assembly of OSMA is to ratify the 2nd African Military Games to be hosted by the Armed Forces of Nigeria which will be used to project the non-kinetic efforts to work towards a peaceful continent and that the armed Forces are working to ensure that the world is peaceful.
Also Speaking, the President of the International Military Sports Council (CISM), Colonel Nilton Gomes Rolim Filho noted that the presence of all delegates for the General Assembly not only symbolise the spirit of military sports management, but also serves as a platform for giving partnerships and alliance, particularly with the stimulus authorities of all African continent.
"In the spirit of collaboration, I'm pleased to announce that we are close with Africa authorities to support again all opportunities for partnership with the CISM Programmes, especially with solidarity development, peace and sport.
"This partnership means our commitment to develop the power of sports as a tool for fostering peace, promoting mutual understanding and advancing shared goals of development and security in all Africa continent. We are looking forward to the CISM World Summer Games. We are following our strategy to achieve this collaboration. We aim to harness the potential of sports to address common challenges facing our society, including promoting health and well being and empowering youth people through sport.
"We establish common goals. There will be the second Africa Military games and there is a kind of preparation that we are planning to do. To achieve our goals during the World Military Summer Games and our intention is to host it in Africa.
The President of CISM is accountable to the General Assembly. He leads and manages the CISM organization in accordance with its regulations, he chairs the Congress and General Assembly, he presents an annual report to the General Assembly, he chairs the Board of Directors and the Emergency Board, he chairs the Council of the Meritorious Order of CISM, he develops all relationships necessary for the proper functioning and influence of CISM with other international organizations, he communicates with Chiefs of Staff of member nations in cases related to extreme lack of discipline.
On his part, Major General Abdullahi Maikano stressed that at the General Assembly, the delegates are going to reiterate the harmonise our ideas together on the hosting of the African Military Games in Nigeria, the Africa Military Championship in Mororcco, and the Great Lake Games in Congo Kinshasha.
Earlier the Director of Sport (DHQ) and Chief of Delegates for Nigeria, Air Vice Marshal Magnus Abanum thanked Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff for the financial and moral support to organise the 8th General Assembly in Nigeria, noting that this has brought to the fore his strategic thought which respect to promoting and inculcating the core non-kinetic element in national defence framework.
He noted that the general assembly is aimed at promoting esprit de corps among the Armed Forces of member nations. This year's General Assembly is to serve as an avenue to contact the OSMA election into various offices to pilot the affairs of the organisation in the next four years. I want to therefore urge the chiefs of delegations from member nations to cast their votes for the candidate of their choice, please note that your decisions in this year's General Assembly will determine the future of this great organisation.
Nevertheless, I was this question while changing everything. This question is all our highly exchange delegates. I sincerely want to commend all the chiefs of delegation here for finding time out of their busy schedules to participate in this year the General Assembly.
SpyeTV Reports that the 1st OSMA General Assembly was held in Algers, Algeria in 2008, 2nd OSMA General Assembly was held in Yaounde, Cameroun in 2010, 3rd OSMA General Assembly at Luanda, Angola in 2012, 4th OSMA General Assembly was held at Hammamet, Tunisia in 2014.
The 5th OSMA General Assembly was held in Asmara-Eritrea from the 8th to the 16th of March 2017. This very important meeting brought on one platform 23 of the active member countries and sets a record for all OSMA General Assemblies given the very encouraging attendance registered. Fifty-four (54) Delegates representing 23 countries were present. It was a colourful event and the working sessions took place in the most convivial atmosphere. The 6th General Assembly of the Organization of Military Sports in Africa (OSMA) was held in Marrakech, Morocco from 3rd to 10th March 2019.
The 7th General Assemblybwas held in Sierra Leone in 2022.
The supreme authority of OSMA is the General Assembly in which all member nations are represented. It approves statutory matters, and strategic and annual operational plans and convenes once every two years. The General Assembly elects a Board of Directors, which is the policy-making body headed by an elected President, the OSMA President. It convenes every 2 years. The African Military Games are scheduled for Abuja-Nigeria in 2024, which is expected to welcome about 500 Athletes from 40 African Countries.
After the opening session in the morning, there was a novelty-friendly match at the CISM Headquarters, Nigeria between the OSMA Football Team and Nigeria's CDS Team. At the end of the match, the OSMA Team defeated the CDS Team with 2 goals to 1.
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| THE 6th OSMA GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN MARRAKECH-MOROCCO 2019 |
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| THE 5th OSMA GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN ASMARA-ERITREA 2017 |