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Kwara state Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has called for more support for members of the Armed Forces and sister security agencies whose efforts the Governor said keep the country united and its people safe.
Speaking to reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, shortly after inspecting the guard of honour and laying the wreath in honour of fallen soldiers, the Governor urged members of the public to support families of fallen soldiers in every way possible as well as offer actionable intelligence to those still in active service.
Their sacrifice to keep the country safe and united cannot be overemphasised, the Governor said at the ceremony commemorating the 2022 (National) Armed Forces Remembrance Day.
“The patriotic roles being played by the gallant officers in the Service in curtailing insurgency and other security threats cannot be quantified. We salute all of them, including those of them who had lost their lives in the course of serving the nation,” according to the Governor.
He was joined at the solemn wreath-laying ceremony by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi; Speaker Kwara State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Yakubu Salihu-Danladi, who was represented by Hon. Gafar Ayilara of the Ilorin North-West Constituency; Commanders and heads of various military formations and security agencies; and Chairman of the Nigeria Legion of Ex-service Men.
The Governor urged Nigerians to replicate the sacrifices of members of the Armed Forces to keep peace with more gratitude and necessary support, saying security is everyone’s business.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for progressively scaling up the welfare of the security forces, saying his administration would also continue to support the agencies in its own ways.
“Partnering with the security agencies is an ongoing exercise. Security belongs to everyone. Not just the agencies. We make their task easier if we support them as a people. They need actionable intelligence from the public for them to be able to protect us. In other words, all of us should be part of the security architecture,” AbdulRazaq added.
“Today, as always, we honour them, we remember their service and we will continue to do that.”
The Governor also lauded the traditional rulers in the state for their support for security agencies and the government to maintain law and order.
This support accounts for why Kwara is a very peaceful state in Nigeria, AbdulRazaq added.
The Armed Forces Remembrance Day is commemorated every January 15 in honour of Nigeria’s serving and fallen soldiers, with emphasis often placed on national security and unity and support for the families of security operatives who died during service.
Rafiu Ajakaye
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
