Today, we remember with solemnity, the sacrifices of members of the Nigerian Armed Forces who laid down their lives that we might live a better life. We also remember our ex-service men and women living with different kinds of disabilities, including those permanently damaged by the horrors of armed conflict and war. We are grateful for all the sacrifices you made.

Fellow compatriots, through the ages, freedom has not always been free. The tree of liberty is regularly watered by the blood of patriots…men and women who paid the supreme price for their fellow citizens to live free. Our lives are enriched by the courageous acts of these people and our sense of gratitude to them is forever.

And so…when we gather on January 15 of every year to perform the ceremony that we are performing here today, we celebrate their memory and pay tribute to their heroism.

Fellow citizens, our country has been battling acts of internal aggression for years now. Almost every day, our brave service men and women fall to the aggressive acts of their fellow citizens in peace time. This situation has left the country bleeding from North to South. Our Armed Forces have been at the receiving end of these unprovoked internal conflicts. The cost of these attacks has been enormous.

So, as we lay wreaths and release pigeons in their memory today, we pray for their peaceful repose in the bosom of Almighty God. We pray that the peace of God that surpasses all understanding should descend on Nigeria.

God bless Anambra State
God bless Nigeria

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