The Director General, Management and Staff of Voice of Nigeria have joined the rest of the country in appreciating the sacrifices of the nation’s fallen heroes and the services rendered by officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
In commemoration of the Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day, the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, Mallam Jibrin Baba-Ndace, in an interview, felicitated with the Nigerian Armed Forces on the occasion. He disclosed that a large part of his life was spent within the military fold.
“First of all let me use this opportunity to on behalf of the management and Staff of Voice of Nigeria say thank you to our gallant officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces and indeed other security agencies because they have put their lives on the line for us as individuals and collectively as a nation.
“I have been privileged to be raised within a military environment, and that shaped my understanding of the military and their sacrifices. I have seen officers and men leave and never return; some came back in what are called body bags.
“I have also seen people whose bodies have been reconstructed because of war as well as people who live with some physical and mental tremor as a result of their duties in conflict areas,” he said.
The Director General also revealed that in his own line of duty, he witnessed the challenges faced by members of his family and community.
“I also grew up in an environment where a lot of people in my family and environment made sacrifices for the civil war and many paid the supreme price and as a reporter, I have been privileged to be on the Defence beat and indeed one of the embedded Defence Correspondents in Nigeria. I was embedded particularly in the counterinsurgency particularly in the North-East but I also have experience with the Airforce and the Navy. I was on board NNS Kada on its first national assignment to Guinea Bissau and I was also on board some of the Naval Ships to Equatorial Guinea as well various gunboats in the creeks within our territorial waters,” the VON DG said.
Malam Jibrin Baba Ndache used the opportunity to call on Nigerian citizens to give more support to families of fallen heroes and serving military officers and men.
“I recall, when I was embedded, some of these officers and men couldn’t see their families for up to six months. Some of us, when we don’t see our families for a week it looks as if the world is going to end. Like when I was on board the NNS Kada, the Captain of that ship was bereaved but because of the national assignment, he had to be on duty and if he didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t know that he had such a challenge.
“Officers and men on such assignments miss their birthday and those of their children and many other important celebrations like that. So, these people make a lot of sacrifices. Even as this event is happening, some might have paid the supreme price as they are in trenches. Some have not seen their families so the best you can give to them is to say thank you.
“This Armed Forces Day celebration is a reminder to the sacrifice of the Officers and men of the Armed Forces but to also know that we must work for the unity of our country collectively.
“We must own our military and we must understand that the military is an instrument of national power. We must not desecrate or devalue them. We must not do anything that will weaken our own military because if you weaken your military you are invariably weakening your nation. Because it is the military that nations use to show force since it is an instrument of national power. So, we must value them,” he stressed.
Malam Ndache expressed satisfaction with the new innovations introduced by the Ministry of Defence, General Christopher Musa this year in celebrating the Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day.