Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah has called
on soldiers fighting Boko Haram insurgents to win the war as a mark of honour
for their fallen colleagues.
Lt.-Gen. Minimah spoke to soldiers at the cemetery of the
fallen heroes in the war against insurgents during a wreath-laying to mark
this year’s Army Day celebration in Maiduguri.
He said: “The only way to honour our fallen officers and
men is to ensure that this war is won and I promise that we will win.”
To the families of the dead soldiers, he said: “I
will also want to assure the families of departed colleagues that they will not
be forgotten. All statutory requirements and privileges for children and
families they left behind would be honoured and be executed.
“The Army is the strength of any nation and it is used to
rate a nation in the international arena.
“I want to thank the Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima
for his continued support to the Nigeria Army in pursuance of ‘Operation Zaman
Lafiya’ and for also hosting the Nigeria Army Day celebration. This has come
with a cost and logistics, which the governor has undertaken.”
Acknowledging the solemnity of the ceremony, the Army
chief said: ”It is a sad ceremony, but it is also a ceremony that we must
undertake for we have to honour the dead. Nigeria Army Day Celebration as it is
for the living, it is also for the dead; and today we are honouring the dead.”
Shettima, who was among the dignitaries at the ceremony,
hailed the Army for keeping Maiduguri safe.
“Believe me, at the risk of exaggerating issues,
Maiduguri is as secured as Lagos or Kaduna or any other city in this country.
They all face the same challenges that Maiduguri is facing and we want to pay
tribute to the gallant officers and men of the Nigeria Army, who have laid down
their lives for this country to remain one indivisible entity.
“Hundreds of our soldiers have died in this
counter-insurgency war. We have to respect our fallen soldiers and pray for the
repose of their souls. But most importantly, we have to make their families
realise that they did not die in vain.
“This singular act of coming down to Maiduguri to
celebrate the Army Day and coming to identify with us shall be written in gold.
“There is psychology in warfare and the fact that the top
hierarchy of the Army are here in Maiduguri convey a lot of message to the
soldiers and to the rest of the world that Maiduguri is safe, accessible and
secured,” the governor said.
He hailed the military for respecting the fundamental
human rights of the suspects arrested during the battle against the insurgents.
Medals were awarded to injured soldiers and those that
were killed in the battle against the insurgents were also posthumously
recognised with medals for their gallantry.
But Maiduguri was locked down for the celebration.
The Army authorities, it was learnt, decided to mark the
day in Maiduguri to boost the morale of troops fighting the insurgency.
The Nation
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