Armed Forces Day: Wike Says ‘Deteriorating Security Situation’ Concerning As Ugwuanyi Donates To Widows Of Fallen Heroes

While marking this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day, Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, called on the Federal Government to change strategy in the war against terrorism as the security situation in the country had become a cause for concern.

His Enugu State counterpart, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi,  also on Friday donated N5m and 150 bags of rice to widows of fallen heroes in the state to mark the day.

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Governor Wike also called for change of Security Chiefs in order to allow for fresh ideas to tackle the threats to internal security in the country.

 Wike spoke during the wreath-laying and parade ceremony organized to mark the day in Port Harcourt on Friday.

Although Wike acknowledged the efforts made so far by the country’s security chiefs in the battle against insurgents, he however believed the situation had overwhelmed the current leaders.

He  said: ” Boko Haram, bandits and killer herdsmen have continued to overrun communities, randomly killing and abducting helpless People.

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“These insurgents have destroyed private and public properties with relative ease, and it is time for the Federal Government to take decisive action and end such menace.

“A country is as strong as its armed forces. Her inability to defeat the Boko Haram insurgency despite years of full military engagement shows that all is not well with our approaches and commitment to the battle against internal insecurity.

“Today, therefore, also raises the need for all of us to be worried by deteriorating security situation across the country and restate the call on the Federal Government to do everything necessary to bring the security threat by Boko Haram and armed bandits to a decisive end in the shortest possible time.”

On his part, Gov  Ugwuanyi presented a cheque of N5million to the general officer commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj Gen Lasisi Adegboye, at a brief ceremony at the Parade Ground, Abakpa Cantonment, Enugu.

Gov Ugwuanyi also supported the skills acquisition scheme of the Nigeria Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA), 82 Division Chapter with N5m.

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Gov Ugwuanyi with the widow of a fallen heroe.

The president of NAOWA and wife of the GOC, 82 Division, Mrs Rasheedat Adegboye, said the skills acquisition programme was initiated to empower the soldiers’ families with skills in vocational training.

The GOC, Maj Adegboye, in a speech, said the second wave of Covid-19 informed the change of the venue of the conventional ceremony organized annually to commemorate the Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Enugu State. He commended the governor for identifying with the military to mark the event, as well as those in the frontline.

THE WHISTLER recalls that Gov Ugwuanyi, during the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, promised to ameliorate the plights of the widows of the fallen heroes, and consequently released N19m to the 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu, for empowerment of the concerned women.

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