The governor of Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, has denounced the ongoing South-West campaign for a Yoruba nation, stating that such agitation would frustrate the efforts of those who had sacrificed their lives for Nigeria’s unity.
The head of the Southern Governors Forum, Akeredolu, pledged that no state in the South-West would permit any movement that would undermine the sacrifices made by the country’s heroes.
In the state capital of Akure, the Ondo State Internal Revenue Service Hall hosted the unveiling of the emblem appeal to launch the 2023 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebrations.
Governor said,
“Those clamouring for Oodua Nation will not succeed. People have not laid down their lives for this country for unscrupulous individuals to scuttle it. This country is very important to some of us.
“We recognise the right of the people to protest or agitate. But if the police feel your actions are treasonable, they will arrest and prosecute you. It is not at this stage in the history of this country that we will repeat IPOB in Yoruba land. Opportunity beacons at us. We cannot afford to throw away that opportunity.
“We must work to ensure that there is power shift. The opportunity for presidency to come to the south, especially the Southwest, is around the corner. We will not sit down and support anyone clamouring for Oodua nation. We will not support it. We have fought for this with everything we had. Nigeria will be good.
“The security agencies will checkmate these unscrupulous enemies embarking on such frivolous activities. We have responsibilities now to soberly reflect on the plight of those who have laid down their lives and those who are still laying down their lives for the unity and peace of this country.”
The governor deems the nation’s enemies’ current audacious posture, which has resulted in the deaths of several of our brave warriors, to be very condemnable. He emphasized that the persistent efforts of the military’s officers and soldiers had significantly reduced the threat posed by the unscrupulous elements.
Without the sacrifice and dedication of these military officials and soldiers, the invasion of the entire nation would have been imminent.
“The month-long observance of Armed Forces Remembrance Day is, therefore, a prime chance for the government and society at large to show sympathy and solidarity with the widows and families of our fallen heroes, particularly those who were killed in the prime of life.
“It is our responsibility to seriously consider the situation of these groups of individuals and make a commitment to ensuring that they have respectable lives. It should be mentioned that the Emblem Appeal Fund’s primary goal is to give monetary and material help to the families of fallen heroes as well as to veterans who have survived different military actions, some of whom have sustained injuries of varying severity that have left them disabled.
“There is nothing too good or too much that we can offer that could replace the precious lives lost or remedy the deprivations and untold hardship suffered by the dependants of these heroes. We must, however, at all times and at every opportunity, give our financial and moral support so that those still alive and serving will be encouraged to give their best in the service of our dear fatherland,” governor added.
All local government councils were urged by Governor Akeredolu to honor the 2023 Armed Forces Remembrance Day by buying and selling the insignia and making substantial donations to the cause.
