Gov Emmanuel urges Nigerians to join families of fallen soldiers for unity, peaceful election

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom has charged Nigerians to remain united irrespective of tribe and religion and allow the will of God to prevail in next month general elections. Emmanuel said this during the 2019 Armed Forces Remembrance Day held in Uyo Cenataph on Tuesday. He urged Nigerians to rededicate themselves to ideals of the fallen heroes and ensure national unity and peaceful coexistence. “On this day of remembrance of our gallant soldier, let us rededicate ourselves to the ideals of national unity, of peaceful co-existence. “When our gallant soldiers went to the theatre of war during the First and Second World Wars in far flung places like Burma, Myanmar, when they were in Katanga province in the Congo during that nation’s turbulent years, when he was killed at various hot spots during the Nigerian Civil War or in Liberia, they were not labelled PDP or APC, neither were they defined as Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba or Igbos, Ibibios, Annangs or Oros; they were not called to the parade grounds based on their States of origin, they were all Nigerians joined together by patriotic fervour and a passion to serve. “We must honour their memory by doing all we can to negate those issues and tendencies that had led us to war in the first instance. “As we prepare for the elections, let us allow the will of the people to stand, let us resist the temptation to create tensions in the land just to satisfy the inordinate ambitions of certain individuals. “Let us play politics of ideas as opposed to that of character assassination or other devious machinations,” Emmanuel said. The governor urged Nigerians to join hands with government to cater for the welfare of relatives of the gallant soldiers who lost their lives to keep Nigeria together. According to him, the survivors and families of our gallant soldiers should not be allowed to cry for the lost of their breadwinners. He said, “We must spare our time, our resources and our blessings to remember these heroes always, not just in January of every year, but in our daily activities. “We must reach out to these families and show them that the sacrifices their breadwinners made were not in vain.” Highlight of the Remembrance Day celebration was laying of wreaths in memory of the fallen heroes and released of pigeons. Isaac Job, Uyo