By Emmanuel Uffot
For families of ex- military personnel and the legionnaires in Akwa Ibom, they have cause to smile as the Akwa Ibom State Governor pledged a support of N100 million to former for their upkeep as well as N25 million worth of bus to the legionnaires in the state.
He announced the donation at the venue of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in Uyo.
Clad in a smart black suit with red tie at the colourful event which was attended by heads of the Armed Forces and sister services as well as legionnaires, the Governor recalled how distraught he was when he lost his father, an Officer of the Nigerian Police in the line of duty to the nation and how his mother was saddled with the challenging task of raising five boys and a girl, and saluted the sacrifices made by the fallen heroes and heroines of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
He thereafter, donated the sum of 100 million Naira to the widows of the fallen heroes and another 25 million to the Nigerian Legion.
“As we honour these brave men and women, let us collectively shun tendencies that inflame passions in our polity.
“Let us celebrate our diversity and see the differences as reflected in our rainbow of our colors as sources for strength rather than weakness to be exploited for narrow individual or group’s political, social or economic advantage.
”Let us lower the temperature of incendiary and divisive rhetoric, let us address the root causes of social tensions in our polity, which today, have given rise to separatist agitations all over the nation.
“Today, as we gather all over the nation, let us not forget the families of those who paid the ultimate price, let us give them a reason to be feel proud that their husbands, sons and daughters truly died for causes greater than _their individual desires”.
Highlight of the event_ was the laying of wreaths on the tomb of the unknown soldier, the ceremonial release of pigeons, the signing of condolence register and symbolic 21 gunshots in memory of the fallen heroes.
The event which took place at the Cenotaph off Udo Udoma Avenue in Uyo began last Sunday with an Interdenominational Service at the Worship Centre climax today January 15 which is always set aside throughout the country to celebrate the fallen heroes.
In attendance at the colourful event were the deputy governor, Senator Akon Iyangenyi, Paramount Ruler of Uyo, Chairman of Transition Committee, Uyo Local Government Council, Chief Judge of The State who all took turns to lay the wreath.
Members of the State Executive Council and some members of the National Assembly currently on break were also at the event.
