REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN HEROES 

The families they left behind should be taken care of

In a statement to commemorate the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance and Celebration Day on Friday, President Bola Tinubu said a secure nation would always stand behind the men and women who defend its territorial integrity and the families of fallen heroes. “Their names might not always be remembered, but their courage sustains our freedom and peace. A nation that forgets its fallen heroes loses its direction; Nigeria, however, remembers,” the president said while also paying tributes to their widows, children, and loved ones. “Your loss is profound, and no words can replace the sacrifices of your loved ones. They served Nigeria with honour, and our people will never forget their sacrifices.”

While this year’s commemoration may have coincided with the 60th anniversary of the first military coup in Nigeria that toppled the First Republic, the choice of January 15 was based on the day in 1970 when then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, officially received the instrument of surrender from ‘Biafra’ to mark the end of the Nigerian civil war. We therefore join in saluting the courage and sacrifices of members of our armed forces.  However, presidential rhetoric is not always matched by concrete action.

For years, there have been pathetic reports on the plight of military widows and the children left behind by soldiers who died in active service. Apart from the statutory entitlements paid within the Services, the insurance benefits due to their families through the Group Life Assurance (GLA) have for years remained an issue of concern. As we have learnt in recent years, promises made in public on the payment of GLA ends without due implementation, leaving the families and dependents to the vagaries of the harsh social and economic situations. We call on the federal government to as a matter of urgency take a holistic review of the administrative process of the GLA to ameliorate the plight of the families of deceased personnel. Beyond this, there is also the lukewarm attitude of many Nigerians, especially to military pensioners. As it happens in other climes, the care for our servicemen must not depend solely on government.

The federal government’s decision to change the Armed Forces Remembrance Day to Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day is commendable. But this only makes meaning when members of the public can also show appreciation by encouraging discount offers and recognition to military veterans at major shopping outlets, airports, stadia and other public places. It is also important that those still in service be taken good care of. Last Sunday, the General Officer Commanding 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Ibikunle Ajose harped on how troop welfare is central to sustaining morale across operational fronts. “Welfare is key to operational effectiveness. Many of our personnel are deployed far from home, confronting difficult challenges,” Ajose said. “Their ability to serve depends heavily on the emotional and social support provided by their families.”

In the past 15 years, the sheer number of families faced with colossal tragedy has become quite alarming. In the armed forces, deaths have become a routine. From a never-ending Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast to general banditry in the Northwest, to herder-farmer crisis in the North Central, and sundry other criminalities in other parts of the country, many of our military personnel are constantly paying the supreme price. How can we expect the best from those whom society literally denies justice by the shabby handling of their dependents?

We must recognise that there is a strategic relationship between the well-being of the personnel of our armed services and the safety of the nation and the citizens. It is only when we take due care of these officers as well as the rank and file that we can legitimately demand that they perform their duties with optimum zeal. The tears of these widows and left-behind children are all a reminder of the debt owed to our fallen heroes. As the president rightly said, we must never forget their sacrifices.

QUOTE: There is a strategic relationship between the well-being of the personnel of our armed services and the safety of the nation and the citizens