KADUNA – (FIRC Kaduna Report) – The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has on Wednesday December 21, 2022 launched the 2023 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Emblem and Appeal Fund in commemoration of the fallen and living heroes and heroines of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, who havesacrificed their lives in the service of their motherland.
The Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe (Dr) on behalf of the State Governor launched the sales of the emblem in respect of the 2022 – 2023 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration at the Arewa House in Kaduna.
Hadiza Balarabe recalled that Nigerian soldiers have served in the First and Second World Wars, Peace-Keeping Operations in many parts of the world and the Nigerian Civil War where many died in these battles and many more got injured. She affirmed that these were done so that the world and Nigeria can be safe and peaceful for citizens and their children.
“We are enjoying relative peace in Nigeria today as a result of the earlier sacrifices made by our soldiers gone and alive. We must therefore continue to show them and their surviving families that we appreciate their sacrifices. One way of doing this is marking this Annual Armed Forces Remembrance Day dedicated to the memory of their sacrifices and their gallant efforts for the rest of us,” the Governor indicated.
She urged people to strife to make life better for them by contributing funds through the purchase of the appeal fund emblem, considering that many of these surviving soldiers and families are living in difficult situations.
In decrying that the debilitating living conditions of retired soldiers and their families are never motivating images for serving soldiers who we desire to put in their best for their country, she observed that in confronting the ravaging internal war with Boko Haram, other terrorists, bandits and kidnappers, many men and women have fallen, just as more lives of soldiers are at stake.
She emphasized that assisting them and their families would encourage the serving officers to appreciate what the Government is doing to their comrades who are no longer in service. Balarabe called on all citizens to support the war on terror by donating generously to the cause of the fallen soldiers.
While commenting on all the officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces deployed to Kaduna State, the Deputy Governor appreciated their work and promised to continue to meet their needs in the various command theatres they operate.
In an interview with journalists, the leader of the delegation, Bala Adamu (Major) expressed satisfaction with the State Government for their support towards successful launching of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Emblem.He urged the Government to empower widows, saying they were not captured in the previous empowerment programmes. He also appealed that they should look into their outstanding payments to give them scholarship as many of them cannot go to school because of financial constraints.
“We the leaders of Kaduna State Legion are appealing to the Government that they should also provide us land where we can generate revenue and cater for ourselves,” he pleaded.
