FG restates commitment to honour fallen heroes

FG restates commitment to honour fallen heroes

Sunday, January 8, 2017 10:24 pm


Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Sunday reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government to reward soldiers who made sacrifices for the unity of the country.

Osinbajo gave the assurance in his remark at the Inter-denominational Church Service for the 2017 Armed Forces and Remembrance Day celebration in Abuja.

He recalled the many victories recorded by the military against insurrection and terrorism in different parts of the country and said the nation remained ever grateful to them.

“We are committed to ensuring that our fallen heroes, especially their dreams for their children will never ever be forgotten,’’ he declared.

He noted that many members of the armed forces had died in the North-East, noting that at some point the evil of Boko Haram had taken over 14 local government areas.

“They (military) moved darkness back so that light will prevail,’’ he said.

He said that as the nation celebrated the fallen heroes, it recalled the attribute of unity and brotherhood in the country, adding that the military had by its role demonstrated the history of the country.

“Against Boko Haram they stayed side-by-side, Christians, Muslims and many of other faith.

“They stood and still remained united from the North-East, South-East, North-West, South-West, North-Central and the South-South,’’ he said.

He noted that the military was today in Southern Kaduna to defeat hate, intolerance and terrorism and to lay down their lives to prove that the country belonged to all regardless of religion or ethnicity.

Osinbajo said that each time a Nigerian was killed under questionable circumstances it was darkness that had prevailed.

He cited President Muhammadu Buhari’s views about the solid military he served in, devoid of ethnic and religious divisions and his advice that Nigerians should never be deceived by those who kill in the name of religion.

According to him, Buhari often says that no religion teaches the killing of the innocent and that anyone who kills another and says that God is great is either insane or does not understand what he is saying.

The Vice President said that the celebration was also to remember the wives, children and relations of the fallen heroes, adding that the administration was committed to ensuring that their efforts were not in vain.

Quoting from the scripture, he said a good Christian must endure hardship like a good soldier, adding that anyone who engaged in warfare entangled himself in a war of life.

According to him, followers of Jesus Christ are described as soldiers because of the attributes of unity, brotherhood, loyalty and discipline which soldiers have.

He added that the most important was that the soldier had the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for the country.

Osinbajo likened the life of a soldier to that of Jesus Christ who laid His life for others because of love.

The Vice President remarked that life itself was warfare and war was a battle between good and evil, and between light and darkness.

He said it was only a fool who failed to know that the physical was determined by the spiritual and that there was no physical manifestation of anything that had not been settled in the spirit.

He said that as the nation and her people fought spiritual battles, they recognized that it was rarely against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers as well as the rulers of darkness.

“As we celebrate our fallen heroes, we do so with the wisdom of the scriptures.

“First, that the physical battles that they fought for freedom, justice and recently against terrorism and hate are battles fought to ensure that good will prevail over evil.

“They are battles those heroes fought to ensure that light will prevail over darkness.

“The victorious fight of our military against the evil ideology of Boko Haram is evidence of the ascendancy of good over evil,’’ he said.

Osinbajo noted that men and women of the armed forces had in the past years battled an ideology that supported the killing of children on their beds, rape and abduction of women and young girls.

He, however, observed that the country would triumph and above all honour those who laid down their lives for its unity.(NAN)


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