Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for his sustained efforts at defeating the Boko Haram insurgents, bandits and other terrorists groups destroying parts of the country.
He spoke at Government House, Port Harcourt after the wreath laying ceremony to mark the 2023 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration at Isaac Boro Park, yesterday.
He said a grateful country honours its armed forces’ extraordinary bravery and courage during their service and the sacrifices of their families for the common good.
“I commend our President, General Muhammadu Buhari for his sustained efforts at defeating the Boko Haram insurgents and bandits terrorizing and destroying our communities in parts of our country. The restoration of peace to our troubled geo-political regions and the conduct of free and fair general elections are the best legacies you can live for our country. As leaders, our goal must be one Nigeria, one destiny, and the challenges of building a more fair, inclusive and just society are not beyond us. Therefore, I will not relent in my prayers to God to enable Mr. President and other leaders of our country to succeed in our mission and commitments to our country.”
The governor said members of the armed forces have paid the maximum price or been maimed while fighting in these numerous battles to achieve tactical victories over the enemies of the country and world peace.
He recalled that after the civil war broke out a few years after independence, the armed forces were forced to quell the ensuing rebellion, which ended after three gruesome years of internecine warfare.
He said since then, there is hardly a year when members of the armed forces have not been assigned to one bloody combat mission or the other either within or outside the country.
The military, Wike said, ha
s also been at war with Boko Haram and other armed insurgents in the North-West and North-East of the country for over 10 years, and the “unknown gunmen” in the South-East of the country.
The governor maintained that the country must move beyond today’s courtesies, speeches and parades to consider the families, including the innocent women and children directly devastated and thrown into untold hardship by the death or incapacitation of their breadwinners at the battlefield.
“As a state government, we have, over the years, provided financial support to our veterans through the State Office of the Nigerian Legion. We have since redeemed the N50, 000,000.00 pledge we made during the remembrance emblem appeal fund launch in December 2022. Today, I wish to donate the sum of N100 million on behalf of the State government for the economic empowerment of the veteran servicemen from Rivers State,” he said.