INTRODUCTION
When the words 'Nigerian Army' are mentioned, the first image that flashes across the minds of many is a mass of gun-totting, stern-faced, camouflage-wearing, MALE soldiers. LOL! Let's face it, many of us do not really think of women when talking about or thinking of the NA. Well, there are women in all the arms of the gallant Nigerian Armed Forces and today, we are taking a look at the first Nigerian woman to ever become a Major-General (two-star general) in the Army and in any of the three wings of the Nigerian Armed Forces (including the Navy and Air Force). Her record remains unbroken till date in the Nigerian Army but has been equalled by Rear Admiral Itunu Hotonu of the Nigerian Navy . Enter, MAJOR-GENERAL (Dr.) Mrs. ADERONKE KALE.

EDUCATION & MEDICAL CAREER
Major-General Ronke Kale (rtd) trained as medical practitioner before she decided to enlist in the Nigerian Army as an officer. It is quite interesting to know that she did so when even fewer women were donning the uniform of the military (it was not even until November 2011 that the first female hostel in the Nigeria Defence Academy, NDA, Kaduna was commissioned, for how many female students? 20). And as for the curious medical professionals, Major-General Kale's area of specialty is psychiatry. She was inspired to join psychiatry by the late medical giant, Professor Thomas Adeoye Lambo. Africa's first professor of psychiatry. Now, let the buga start, Dr. Bo..lol!

JOINING THE ARMY & AS A MAJOR-GENERAL
As a colonel and medical commandant (Commanding Officer) in the Nigerian Army, she attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS SEC12), Kuru, Plateau State in the year 1990 (she was of the same set with retired Lt. Gen. Victor Samuel Leonard Malu who was to later become the Chief of Army Staff). Upon graduation from Kuru (she received her graduation certificate in 1990 as a colonel from General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who was the military president), she returned to the Military Hospital, Benin, Edo State and resumed duties as the Commanding Officer. While in the army, she was a close associate of IBB's chief of intelligence, Colonel Halilu Akilu.

From there, she was later moved to Lagos State where she served as the Deputy Commandant of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps , Ojo where she was later promoted to the rank of a Brigadier General, thus becoming the first woman in Nigeria to become a one-star general (but please note that the first woman to be commissioned an officer in the Nigerian Army is Risquat Finni, who later retired as a Lieutenant Colonel).

This amiable physician was the first female military officer to reach the rank of a major-general (mind you, that's solid two-star general) when she became the Commandant of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps and School (NAMCS) and later bowed out without any blemish in her medical or military career. The Nigerian Army Medical Corps has been described as one of the components of combat service support. Its main function is to provide adequate medical care for the entire Nigerian Army, and in addition to being the second of the four principal services, it is also the only one that is mainly administrative. As the Commandant of the Corps, he/she reports to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) concerning the efficiency and quality of the medical, dental, pharmaceutical and nursing services received by personnel of the Nigerian Army. The NAMC has the following units:

-Field Ambulance (Fd Amb)
-Regimental Aid Post (RAP)
-Company Aid Post (CAP)
-Main Dressing Station (MDS)
-Advanced Dressing Station (ADS)
-Field Hospital (Fd Hosp)
(Credits: Armed Forces Command And Staff College, Jaji)
So as you can see, her role was far from being a minor one.

It was in the year 1994 that she broke the record not only in Nigeria but in West Africa with her appointment as the first ever female Major General in the Nigerian Army. Her job was to see to the psychological problems of the personnel of the Nigerian Army in addition to other duties related to administration and management. The military all across the globe, is one institution that is beset with a lot of psychological trauma and if not properly managed, can have devastating consequences. An appropriate example is the United States military which has one of the most shocking rates of suicide and sexual assault in the world.


RETIREMENT
Retirement came in 1996 under the Abacha regime. She retired honourably and till date, Major-General Kale (rtd) remains a mentor to many Nigerian women, especially those in the military. Some analysts have described her retirement as an ethnic purge by Abacha under the circumstances of an alleged coup reportedly masterminded by Lt. General Oladipo Diya of the Yoruba ethnic group as she was retired alongside a batch that included many others from her geopolitical zone (we cannot make any progress as a nation if all these annoying ethnic wars are not sorted out).


THE GENERAL TODAY
On the 13th of February, 2012, she was honoured at the 17th THISDAY Annual Awards for Excellence (Lifetime Achievement Awards). The only female tw0-star general today in the Nigerian Armed Forces is Rear Admiral Itunu Hotonu of the Nigerian Navy
[img]http://www..com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ITUNU-HOTONU_compressed.jpg[/img]

SOURCE: http://www..com/aderonke-kale-the-first-female-two-star-general-in-the-nigerian-armed-forces/

Splendid.

I troway salute for you!

I thought Major Moji Obasanjo was the first woman to occupy that position? Now i know.

Nice thread Iyaniwura!

Respect ma.

nice

see woman wey get level pass many men choi

Nice one /Iyaniwura

I am sure this is hitting the FP. shows her face once/month and heads to the FP without delay

I respect your work ma'am

Respect Ma

kudos to her. She really tried. The Army is very tough to join. Those who served(NYSC) know better.

Yorubest:


How dull can one get?

If a Major and a Major General mean the same thing, it means the position of a Manager and a General Manager are the same

You could at least ask questions before commenting

. Mr. Perfect why don't you move to a planet where no one makes errors?

Yorubest:


How dull can one get?

hehehehehe

's thread..FP material, make I book space

Gallant lady soldier.. My own iyaniwura too was an officer in the NAMC.

Kudos to you Ma and women in general. Long Live The Federal Republic of Nigeria

Proud

Yorubest:


How dull can one get?

If a Major and a Major General mean the same thing, it means the position of a Manager and a General Manager are the same

You could at least ask questions before commenting

That was very uncalled for and rude. You should be civil in your online conversation with others.

I stopped reading the original crap when stumbled onto the phrases such as “the first in Nigeria and first in Africa”. I guess such endeavor is very silly and uneducated arrogation of err of personality which is very common among certain ethnic group in Nigeria.

According the posted junk, the picture depicts a naval officer with the rank of Rear Admiral not a Major General. Thank goodness the lady was not the first female medical doctor who had enlisted into Nigerian armed forces. There were female medical doctors in Nigerian Armed Forces who even attained the rank of Major as far back as 1966. Barring unforeseen circumstances, such ladies would have made the rank of general before the indicated individual even enlisted.

No doubt it came from a person who thought prime minister was a Head of State in Nigeria.

DerideGull: I stopped reading the original crap when stumbled onto the phrases such as “the first in Nigeria and first in Africa”. I guess such endeavor is very silly and uneducated arrogation of err of personality which is very common among certain ethnic group in Nigeria.

According the posted junk, the picture depicts a naval officer with the rank of Rear Admiral not a Major General. Thank goodness the lady was not the first female medical doctor who had enlisted into Nigerian armed forces. There were female medical doctors in Nigerian Armed Forces who even attended the rank of Major as far back as 1966. Barring unforeseen circumstances, such ladies would have made the rank of general before the indicated individual even enlisted.

No doubt it came from a person who thought prime minister was a Head of State in Nigeria.

wow i never knew you are this stupid!

HE clearly stated in his post that the picture of the naval officer is The only female tw0-star general today in the Nigerian Armed Forces - Rear Admiral Itunu Hotonu of the Nigerian Navy

And the post was about the first General not Majors

Use your head

Wonderful

We (women) taking over!

She try sha! But

nadia_SA: We (women) taking over!

You and who?
From where to where?

rigormortis: i want to fvkc this woman

Yabaleft enlisted you as a candidate.

tank God for her

Yorubest:


How dull can one get?

If a Major and a Major General mean the same thing, it means the position of a Manager and a General Manager are the same

You could at least ask questions before commenting

that was not polite...@ least berem didn't act like a "know-all"

So why is this on the frontpage?!

In a field where most men cant even survive or dreads so much,you didnt just enrol,you became a Major General.I doff my cap for you and I say enough gbosas for you. Madam you try gan, ko easy.

Crassus:

wow i never knew you are this stupid!

HE clearly stated in his post that the picture of the naval officer is The only female tw0-star general today in the Nigerian Armed Forces - Rear Admiral Itunu Hotonu of the Nigerian Navy

And the post was about the first General not Majors

Use your head

This display of idiocy comes to full glare when ninnies dabble into subject matters beyond their pedigree. There is nothing such as two-star general in Navy. It is two-star admiral.

Again in case your deficiency in comprehension had acted up, I wrote “attained the rank of Major in 1966 and would have attained the rank of general barring unforeseen circumstances, olodo.

whats all dis blabbing, afterall my mum retired as a 5 star general

Okay