The All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended the invaluable sacrifice of the Nigerian military in keeping the country safe and united in the face of unprecedented forces tugging at the very core of its existence.
In a statement, Wednesday, in Abuja, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to mark the 2015 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, the party said Nigerians owe the gallant men and women of the Nigerian military a debt of gratitude for their courage, perseverance and sacrifice in defence of all that Nigerians hold dear.
The APC called on all Nigerians to show their unalloyed gratitude to the men and women in uniform by supporting them unconditionally in their ongoing fight against terror, and also by remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of their fatherland.
“It was American politician Virgil Goode who said ‘we need to thank all of our troops, and particularly those for whom we can never express enough gratitude for they have given their lives so that all of us may be free and that our democracy can be a shining light for the rest of the world’.
“It is in this light that we urge all our compatriots to remember, especially in their prayers, the gallant troops who are currently battling the virulent insurgency in some parts of our country, against all odds. There is no better time than the occasion of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day to do this for the troops, as well as to spare a thought for those who gave their lives in defence of our cherished values”, APC said.
The opposition party said in view of its all-important role in ensuring the security and unity of the nation, the military must always be above the fray, and must never be compromised by partisans.
“Never must this critical national institution allow itself to be compromised on the altar of politics. Never must it be dragged into the mud of unbridled partisanship, and never must it be used against the corporate interest of the nation. Its important stabilising role must be respected at all times, even as it has subjugated itself to the tenets of democracy”, it said.
The Armed Forces Remembrance Day is celebrated on January 15 of every year in Nigeria to commemorate the end of the civil war in 1970.