Protocols
It is my honour and privilege for me to welcome everyone to the 2024 Nigeria Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration.
2. Today is a solemn occasion for all Nigerians to remember the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform who fought in the various wars, peace-keeping operations, and internal conflicts and security operations across the country, to advance world, regional, and national peace and security.
3. We are gathered here to commemorate the extraordinary bravery, and professionalism of our armed forces, including those who served in the past and those who are currently serving.
4. Then and now, they have been out there performing their constitutional duties, day and night, in the most difficult and dangerous circumstances and putting their lives on the line for all of us both at home and abroad.
5. They left their homes, spouses, children, and families and opted for the hazardous life of a soldier so that we can live in peace and security.
6. At the end some returned traumatized with lost limbs and shattered hopes, while some never returned at all to their families and loved ones.
7. We also salute our veterans and members of the Nigerian Legion for their immeasurable services, and also, for the support and solidarity that they have continued to provide to our soldiers and to their fellow veterans.
8. We also pay special homage to the families of our service men and women for their fortitude, forbearance, and generosity of spirit.
9. We are grateful for your immense love and support for our soldiers, which enabled them to effectively perform their duties of protecting us. We acknowledge the heavy burden that you bear and sacrifice as a debt that we can never fully repay.
10. And so, today we are all gathered to remember and honour our service men and women for their patriotism and sacrifice and thank them for what they continue to do for us every day; for being there for us all the time.
11. On behalf of the government and people of Rivers State, I join the President or our country to say: thank you. We are all proud of your bravery, valour, and patroitism.
12. Although the war on terror and banditry has not fully ended, we commend our armed forces for the significant daily gains in the battlefield.
13. As we trust their capability, combat readiness and resilience, we urge the federal government to continue to provide and motivate them with all that they need to enable them to overcome the prolonged internal security challenges facing this nation.
14. We commend our President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for his determination to end the economic and security challenges of our country.
15. We believe that with Mr. President’s political will, leadership and unprecedented support for our armed forces, Boko Haram and other internal security threats to our nation by non-state actors would soon be history.
16. As a sub-national government, we will continue to support the country’s armed forces to the extent that we can to enable them to discharge their constitutional responsibilities to our State and the nation.
17. We will also continue to provide financial and material support to our veterans and their families, as we have always done.
18. Finally, we, again, salute our fallen and living heroes who sacrificed their lives to defend our nation, safeguard our unity and territorial integrity, and bequeath us with a safer and more peaceful nation.
19. Long live the Armed Forces of Nigeria.I
20. Thank you for your attention. God bless us.
