ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – President Goodluck Jonathan is angry at some Nigerians among them prominent citizens who take delight in maligning the Nigerian military despite their sacrifices which involve some of them paying the supreme price to keep Nigeria one.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had on Saturday said he doubted the ability of the military to dislodge the terrorist sect in the north east in six weeks what they couldn’t do in six years, following the shift in elections dates to March 28th and April 11th.
But according to Jonathan, Nigerians today can sleep well because of the military sacrifices, noting that while protecting the nation some of them paid the supreme sacrifice.
He made his displeasure known Saturday night at the maiden Presidential dinner for the wives and family members of the military men who died in active service while engaging the terrorist sect Boko Haram, in defence of the country in the north east.
Jonathan, who assured the widows and family members of the deceased soldiers that they would never go beggarly following the death of their bread winners, said, “We appreciate the services of your husbands, your fathers, within the armed forces and other security agencies because we sleep while they protecting the nation some of them paid the supreme sacrifice.
“That is why I personally get angry when some public utterances that are not expected are made of them.
“All nations respect their military, respect their intelligent services. Because without these people we wouldn’t have been here. Without these people there wouldn’t have been any Nigeria.
“What keeps us together as a nation is the activities of these people. I use this opportunity to call on all of us Nigerians to continue to show gratitude and appreciation to our security services”.
Jonathan, who said the federal government would adopt Programmes of the Victim Support Fund as a policy to cater for the welfare of the nation’s fallen heroes, said that the nation owed the fallen heroes a lot of gratitude because without them there would not be a country like Nigeria.
“We will adopt your programme as FG policy so that every year we will know what the government can do to take care of the welfare of the wives and children of our fallen heroes.’’
He added that the government would continue to support the families left behind by the fallen heroes to ensure that what they died for did will not go in vain.
“I assure you that government will continue to support you.
“We are here to reinforce our total commitment to you so that we can be held responsible if we fail to do what we are supposed to do,’’ he said.
The president noted that the Victim Support Fund set up by his administration was doing everything possible to alleviate the plight of the wives and children of the fallen heroes.
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Earlier, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Barde, had observed that the government owed the safety of the nation to the members of the armed forces.
He added that their love would be compensated by ensuring that the military brought the war on terror to a successful end.
Responding on behalf of the heroes wives, Mrs. Christiana Yakubu, wife of late Brigadier General H. Yakubu, thanked President Jonathan for the reception to honour their late husbands.
She said the families were aware of the efforts being made by the Jonathan administration to immortalise the fallen heroes.
“We are aware also of your commitment to protect the youth and the future generation of the country and we shall give you our support.”
