From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti has said the civil war in Nigeria could have been avoided if reason had been allowed to prevail at certain critical points.
Otti who stated this in his address to mark the 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Umuahia said the events leading to the Civil War and the war itself were very tragic.
The Governor noted that the shedding of the blood of millions of people, especially innocent, non-combatant women, children and the elderly, would remain a long-standing stain on the nation’s history
“There should be no attempt to downplay that; even then, history would also record the quick attempts at reconciliation and reintegration initiated by the military itself as an eternal redeeming gesture.
“A major lesson that many, especially the elites, appear to have missed from the tragic events of the Civil War is the place of constructive and engaging dialogue in nation building, especially in seasons of political anxiety.
“It is disappointing to observe that most times, we, by our actions and words, make nonsense of the sacrifices in blood, sweat and tears of hundreds of thousands of our servicemen and women.”
Otti stated that while it was true that the nation, especially now, is beset with so many difficult challenges including domestic insecurity and a growing sense of uncertainty, he said must take the people’s attention away from the daily sacrifices made by the officers and men in uniform to limit the threats and preserve national stability.
“Our debt to our brave servicemen, alive or dead, is infinite and under no circumstances must we forget what they each and collectively offer that we might live and walk as free citizens.
“From fighting a civil war to dealing with multiple internal disturbances including terrorism borne out of religious and political extremism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery and other forms of violent crimes and acts of economic sabotage such as crude oil theft and illegal mining of mineral resources, our servicemen and women have continued to make themselves available to confront these new frontiers of evil and the individuals behind them.”
The Governor added that for more than 50 years, since January 15 became significant in the history of the country’s military following the end of the Nigeria-Biafra civil war, her men and women in uniform have never shied away from doing whatever has to be done to preserve the national unity.
“Additionally, they have shown great courage in confronting threats to our economic and social lives and most importantly, offered us abiding examples in brotherhood, irrespective of ethnic, cultural or religious backgrounds.”
Otti urged all patriotic Nigerians to be grateful to the military for what it represents in the national life and history.
He called on those fanning the embers of division and hate with inflammatory rhetoric, promoting clannish divisions or inciting young people to attack others on their behalf, to desist forthwith from that in the overall interest of the country.