Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti on Saturday restated the need to provide support for retired soldiers as well as families of Armed Forces personnel killed in the fight against insurgency, banditry and other crimes.
Fayemi made the call during the 2022 Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Ado-Ekiti.
According to him, Nigerians owe families of fallen heroes a duty of care, support and prayers at all times to ameliorate their pains and loss.
The governor commended President Muhammadu Buhari for improving the pension and service entitlement of Armed Forces personnel.
“One of the very remarkable lines in our national anthem is that `the labour of our heroes past shall not be in vain`.
“These are men and women of our Armed Forces who have sacrificed and toiled for this nation and continue to toil for this nation.
“All over this country you have them at work in the defence of our people, we owe them a duty of care, we owe them a duty of support, we owe them a duty of prayers at all times and we owe their families in the event of loss, a duty of service.
“We cannot completely expect them to forget the love of their loved ones, however, we can at least ameliorate this a little bit.
“That is something President Muhammadu Buhari has done with the way he has assisted in improving on the pension and service entitlements of men and women of our armed forces,” he said.
Fayemi emphasised the need to provide required materials, equipment and financial assistance for the Armed Forces to enable their personnel at the warfront to win the battle against insurgency, banditry and other criminal acts in the country.
He stressed the need for every Nigerian citizen to take security as a personal responsibility by assisting officers and men of the Armed Forces with information that would enable them to keep the country secured and united.
“For those of them still fighting in defence of Nigerians against insurgence, against bandit, against criminals, we have a duty to see security as a responsibility of every citizen.
“Not just the responsibility of our men and women in the Armed Forces and we must at all times provide them with the information, provide them with the intelligence, provide them with the support that will enable them to deliver on the task at hand.
“That is the only way we can keep our country together and ensure that the criminals are not left to run riot across the country with impunity.
“We must make sure that we bring them to book in addition to supporting our men with materials, with equipment, with financial assistance in order for them to accomplish the task that we have given to them,” he said.
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The highlight of the occasion was the laying of wreaths in honour of the fallen heroes by dignitaries and security chiefs resident in the state.
Dignitaries at the event included the Brigade Commander, 32 Artillery Brigade, Owena Cantonment, Brig.-Gen. Raymond Utsaha and the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti, Mr Babatunde Mobayo.
Others were the Ekiti Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr John Fayemi; Chairman, Nigerian Legion, Ekiti Chapter, Col. Adeyanju Olorunda (rtd), the Chairman, Ekiti Traditional Council, Oba Gabriel Adejuwon of Isan Ekiti and the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe
