FORMER Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday commended the remarkable, incredible, unflagging and patriotic sacrifices of the nation’s military personnel in the line of duty and in the defence of the country.
The former Vice President made the statement shortly after his arrival from an overseas trip at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja yesterday.
In a statement made available to news men yesterday by his media office to mark this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day, the former Vice President observed that since the end of the civil war in 1970, members of nation’s armed forces had not faced greater challenges than today in the face of counterterrorism war against the Boko Haram insurgents.
Atiku Abubakar declared apart from sapping energy and resources, counterterrorism is one of the most stressful security duties, adding that “the performance of our military personnel under these gruelling challenges is admirable and praiseworthy.”
According to Atiku Abubakar, “laying down one’s life for the sake of others is the highest sacrifices, explaining these officers and men are driven by sheer patriotism and love of fellow citizens.”
He noted that “any group of people who can overcome fear for the call of duty and love of one’s country deserve the greatest honour, respect and rewards from their societies.”
The Turakin Adamawa also stated that he was impressed beyond words by the recent military successes against the Boko Haram insurgents, including the successful assault on the notorious terrorists den, the Sambisa Forest, which he said had sent a clear message that criminals, “cannot defeat law and order permanently.”
He paid special tributes to the officers and men who lost their lives in the line of duty or battlefield, and called on the authorities to take adequate care of the families of fallen heroes.
The former Vice President also said that he was looking forward to the day members of the nation’s military personnel would join the list of military inventors and designers such as Mikhail Kalashnikov of Russia, the designer of the famous AK-47 assault rifles.
He pointed that the Defence Industries Corporation in Kaduna should one day showcase the inventiveness, and technical acumen of the nation’s military.
The former Vice President while congratulating the nation’s gallant armed forces, advised the military leadership to create special units for research to help Nigeria produce its weapons, among others locally to reduce the pressure on the over dependence on foreign countries for weapons and equipment.