Press Releases

Fashola Lays Wreath At 2011 Armed Forces Rememberance Day
…Charges Nigerians to resolve never to undermine the peace of the country

Jan 15, 2011 - Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Saturday laid a wreath in memory of Nigeria's fallen heroes at the Remembrance Arcade of the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos with a charge that Nigerians must now resolve never to do anything that will undermine the peace of the country.

Governor Fashola who spoke with newsmen after the wreath laying ceremony which was also performed by the Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Sosan and all Military Service Commanders in Lagos added that this represents the best way to show that Nigerians value their service and the sacrifice they have made.

Said he: "By our utterances and action, we must resolve to show that we will not do anything to undermine the peace and territorial integrity of Nigeria and therefore stop acts of the recent past like bombings, assassination, kidnapping and robbery that really undermine the peace that these gallant officers have sacrificed supremely for".

He added that the Armed Forces Remembrance Day should not be a day that starts and ends with parade but a day that requires everyone to reflect on and resolve in reflection on what more can everyone do to make the lives of the men and women comfortable, to inspire them that this is a labour that will never be in vain.

"Nothing that we do can be too much to honour those who have paid the price and those who are serving and may yet pay and I think it is important that everything we do to show that we care to support the serving officers, the families of the fallen officers and also inspire the young ones that life in the Military is not a life in vain and we would have contextualized the Armed Forces Remembrance Day", he affirmed.

Responding to a question on what the State Government has been doing to take care of the welfare of the families of the fallen heroes, Governor Fashola said the State has led by ensuring that it reaches out to all the Military communities and formations within the State.

According to Governor Fashola: "We have continued to support the children, the wives, the officers both serving and retired. We all have a lot to do to reinforce the value of national service in the Military".

When you realize it that once you sign on that uniform you are making a life commitment. You are signing a pact with all of us that whenever it becomes necessary to do it, you will give up your own life in order to protect our own".

Others who laid wreaths at the ceremony included the Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Sosan, The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Inumidun Akande, Representative of the Navy, Commodore Jonathan Ango, representative of the Army, Brigadier General Sanusi Muazu, the Airforce, Group Captain Ayo Abdulsalam, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Marvel Akpoyibo, the Chairman of Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Legion, Mr Femi Oguntade and a representative of the Oba of Lagos and Opeluwa Onido, Chief Fatai Ajose.

Governor Fashola who had earlier inspected a guard of honour mounted at the event also released some pigeons at the ceremony.