Odillo hands over power to Maulana
Former Malawi Defence Force (MDF) commander General Henry Odillo on Monday officially handed over the sword of command to his successor, General Ignacio Maulana, during a function held in Lilongwe.
In his farewell speech, Odillo, who has served in MDF for 36 years since he graduated as a second lieutenant in 1978, said he is leaving MDF in safe hands.
He said: “The journey has been quite exciting and at the same time challenging, but the burden was not too heavy to bear because of your support. I have no doubt about General Maulana.
“Your dedication and professionalism will obviously make you prosper. As you execute your duties it has to be mentioned that there are many challenges ahead. However, these can be dealt with if you look to God. Not every human problem we face has a human solution.”
Odillo received a standing ovation as he left the parade ground with senior officers pulling his car using ropes as the crowd cheered on.
In his remarks, Maulana said Odillo has left a great legacy in uplifting the welfare of soldiers and officers and also for being apolitical.
He also said under his tenure, MDF will focus on increased training programmes and continue improving the welfare of the soldiers.
Said Maulana: “My command philosophy is to train hard to fight easy. To achieve that we need discipline from officers. I will ensure that they maintain proper conduct at all times. We will continue discharging our constitutional duties while maintaining an apolitical stance among our officers.”
