Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has been compelled to query the utilisation of N150million his administration has yearly donated to the legionnaires.
He said he was surprised that despite donating such amount of money yearly, the legionnaires were still appealing to him to build a befitting secretariat for them.
The governor spoke yesterday at the Government House in Port Harcourt at the 2022 Armed Forces Remembrance Day (AFRD) Emblem Appeal Fund launching ceremony.
“Wike, in reaction to the request for the provision of secretariat for the Nigerian legion, wondered what the leadership of the legion did with the monetary support they received each year,” a statement by the Governor’s Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said.
He said it remained puzzling that the legionnaires were unable to provide some basic operational facilities such as a secretariat for themselves.
The governor insisted that the Rivers State Government alone, within the last six years of his tenure, had donated not less than N150million to them annually.
He said if the resources were well managed, it would have provided them a secretariat without going hand-in-cap to the government.
He said: “If you check for the six years, I’ve launched this emblem with not less than N20 million every year. And check each January 15th, I have given you not less than N150million. So, when you calculate, you can have your own secretariat.”
The governor urged the Federal Government not to abandon its responsibility of catering for the welfare of men and officers of the security agencies in states.
Wike said the state governments were only providing necessary support.
He said that his administration would not relent in its support to men and officers of the military, who had fought to keep the country united.
Wike noted that although January 15th every year was the Remembrance Day in particular, the Emblem Appeal Fund Launch was organised earlier to raise money to support the Nigerian Legionnaires.
He said: “What we are merely doing is to support. What is the Federal Government doing for you? So, everything should not be left in the hands of the state.”
“The military is under the Federal Government, the police is under the Federal Government. So don’t shift responsibility of the Federal Government to states. What we are merely doing is to support.”
The Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, said every year, the event was organised to honour, appreciate and support war veterans and their dependents for their levels of sacrifice that they made as a duty to the nation.
He noted that as officers and men of the military, they gave their best to ensure that the civil populace continued to enjoy security and peace.
He said: “We may not know them all, but certainly, we owe them all. This is why His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, has always supported them in every way possible.”
Rivers State Chairman of Nigerian Legion ACG Justice Chichi esq. said patriotic citizens were gathered to consider how to continue ameliorating the harsh and unfriendly challenges that confronted legionnaires.
He urged Nigerians to spend the 2022 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in sober reflection of those sacrifices and renew commitment to the welfare of the veterans, widows and dependents of the fallen heroes in Rivers State.
