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Ambode calls for stability on armed forces remembrance day

By Daniel Anazia, Adebola Ajayi Lagos and Murtala Adewale, Kano 
14 January 2018   |   2:09 am
Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has urged Nigerians to reflect deeply on the causes of wars, unrest and agitations in the country and work towards achieving political stability and peaceful co-existence.   He made the call at a special Juma’at prayer held at the Secretariat Mosque, Alausa, to kick-start the Armed Forces Remembrance Day in…

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode

Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has urged Nigerians to reflect deeply on the causes of wars, unrest and agitations in the country and work towards achieving political stability and peaceful co-existence.
 
He made the call at a special Juma’at prayer held at the Secretariat Mosque, Alausa, to kick-start the Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Lagos.

Represented by his deputy, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, the governor stated that the prayer was to acknowledge the contributions of fallen heroes to the unity and corporate existence of the country, reassuring families that their loved ones did not die in vain.

   
“We are also using this occasion to acknowledge what our serving military personnel are doing on the battle field. And we pray that the Almighty God will grant them victory, as they protect the territorial integrity of the nation. As a nation, it is important for us to look inward and come up with how best we can prevent the causes of wars, whether big or small,” Ambode said.

The governor assured Lagosians that his administration would continue to implement policies and programmes that promote justice, security, equity and peaceful co-existence of Nigerians resident in the state, irrespective of their religions, tribes or political associations.

Similarly, worried by the deplorable condition of families of fallen heroes, a coalition of retired military offices, yesterday, demanded full account of emblem appeal funds. 

The retired officers from the Retired Army, Navy, Air Force Officers of Nigeria (RANAON) advocated total overhaul of the yearly ritual.

Speaking at the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Emblem Appeal Funds, Publicity Affairs Officer of RANAON, retired Captain Yusuf Abdulmalik, lamented that money realised from the donation made little or no impact in the lives of the supposed beneficiaries.

He called for the immediate probe of the Nigerian Legion and the Ministry of Defense over millions of naira received yearly on behalf of the families of fallen heroes. He also advocated prompt payment of ex-servicemen’s entitlement.

Meanwhile, Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko Vanguard has described as ridiculous call by the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to bar Ambode, from contesting the 2019 governorship election.
 
Coordinator of the group, Bamigbade Seyi, regretted that rather than work hard to make the PDP relevant in Lagos, the party was calling on INEC to disqualify Ambode.
 
He said call for the arrest of members of Itesiwaju Ipinle Eko Vanguard was wrong because the group had not breached any electoral act by expressing its views about the governor’s performance.

He said organising rallies to celebrate Ambode in the three senatorial districts was the group’s way of supporting the governor for not disappointing the All Progressives Congress and Lagosians.

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