Armed Forces Remembrance Day: Mimiko warns Armed Forces against unlawful orders during General Election
As the nation prepares for the 2011 general elections, the Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko on Sunday (yesterday) enjoined officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces to refuse to obey unlawful orders capable of pushing the country backward on its democratic path during the forthcoming polls.
The Governor was speaking at the church service to mark this year's Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration at the Ebenezer African Church, Amudipe, Akure attended by the Commanding Officer, 323 Artillery Regiment, Akure, Lt Col. Sam Nwafor, the state Chief Judge, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi, the state Chairman, Nigerian Legion, Major Vincent Abiola (rtd) among other state functionaries and traditional rulers.
"Our past experience had shown that those who snatch ballot boxes during elections always do it under the cover of security agencies. I want to appeal to our armed forces not to sacrifice professionalism and the future of this country during the conduct of the coming 2011 elections which is crucial to the survival of democracy in Nigeria. Nobody prays for bad thing to happen, but those who obey unlawful orders, there is always a reward for such act, there are ways to pay for it.
Decrying the neglect of ex-servicemen by those who were supposed to provide for their welfare, the governor declared that until we learn how to care for fighters for better and unified Nigeria, the efforts to rid it of corruption may not be fruitful as expected.
"A nation that cannot guarantee good health for servicemen cannot be called a serious country that is fighting corruption. The more we take care of the aged ex-servicemen, widows or widowers of those who fought for the unity of this country, the more we heal Nigeria of the propensity of amassing wealth. But there are still some people even when they have stolen enough to last their life time, they feel in secured of their future.
"In spite of the various perfidies that are abound in this our great country, Nigeria is still worth sacrificing for. I know and I believe you too can see that god loves this country because He has been coming to the rescue this country whenever we had crises. What we should be praying for is that God should give us good leaders who will selflessly give it a sense of direction for the good of everyone.
In his sermon, the Vicar of the church, Ven. Olu Oke told government at all levels in the country to reverse the trend of forgetting and abandoning ex-servicemen especially disabled ones as well as survivors of those who fell while fighting for the unity of the country.
The cleric praised Dr Mimiko for impacting positively on the lives of the electorate especially retired public servants who were paid all their pension arrears in one fell swoop after many years of languishing under the yoke of non-payment by successive administrations.