Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has lauded men and officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces for their commitment to safeguard the sovereignty of the country and ensuring internal peace.
Governor Wike stated this at the interdenominational Church Service marking the 2021 Armed Forces Remembrance day celebration, which held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
The governor said while it is good to have a date annually to appreciate and recount the contributions of the Armed Forces in ensuring that the civil populace can enjoy peaceful country, the federal government should do more for them.
He said the one off contributions made on such remembrance day is never enough to cater for those who have suffered injuries while defending the country or the families left behind by those who paid the supreme sacrifice.
“It is not easy when people would say for the sake of this country, we are willing to make sacrifices. They laid down their lives to protect us. While some of us will be sleeping ,they are busy, fighting to defend the country, the sovereignty of this country.
“In the course of doing that, so many died, some get injured to the point they can’t be useful to themselves again all their life. You know how painful it is that a man goes to work with the hope that he’s coming back home, but the children are later told that they have lost their dad because he went to protect the country.
“So, we must have a special recognition for our fallen heroes and to those who are still in the Armed Forces fighting. See what is going one in Borno and Yobe states and all over the country; banditry, insurgencies.
“So, for us, we think that government should come up with something concrete that when they go out and fight, their families will know that there is something their parents have kept that will cater for their children.”
In his sermon, Bishop of Diocese of Niger Delta, Rt Rev Wisdom Budu Ihunwo called on leaders in Nigeria to be like Jesus Christ who came to earth, fulfilled the dictates of his manifestos without distraction.
He said Jesus knew there were spiritual and physical challenges confronting the people and he preached to the poor, liberated the prisoners of addiction, healed the blind and delivered the oppressed.
Bishop Ihunwo wondered why most politicians make promises they can not keep and become oppressors of the people by increasing sufferings. According to him, there is so much killing yet nobody has been brought to justice.
He pointed out that the hope of the people is failing because even the government is unable to protect life and property of the citizenry.
The Bishop stated that Nigeria cannot be better when there is profound injustice and the leaders lack integrity, cannot promote equity, and work to reversed the magnitude of oppression in the land.
He commended Governor Wike for embarking on massive infrastructural development across the State in fulfilment of his electoral promises to the people.
There were prayers of thanksgiving for God’s goodness to Nigerians, blessings for families of the fallen heroes, for the federal government, Rivers State, the Nigeria legion and the Armed Forces.
