Former Nigerian Minister and Presidential Candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, has asked the Nigerian Government to declare national mourning over the deaths of more than 100 Nigerian soldiers at the hands of Boko haram last weekend.
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“We express our sympathy and condolence to the families and loved ones of the departed soldiers. They are another set of heroes who have sacrificed their lives for others to live. This calls for a sober reflection and declaration of mourning days by the government”, she said.
Ezekwesili said the manner in which the soldiers lost their lives did not show anything good about the internal security of Nigeria as a country.
She further wondered why it took the Nigerian military one full week to confirm the incident after videos showing Nigerian soldiers being killed had gone viral on social media.
Ezekwesili challenged the military authorities as well as the Commander-in-Chief, President Buhari to prove that they haven’t failed the nation’s soldiers saying the fallen heroes must be properly honoured by the country.
She also noted that many questions were begging for answers with the recent killings of soldiers as she asked the Nigerian Government to publish the names and authentic figures of fallen heroes for Nigerians to know the extent of damage and for record purposes.
Ezewkesili said;
“There are pertinent questions that the Federal Government and the military need to answer. How did this latest in a series of killings of our soldiers in the frontline of battle catch our country off-guard?
Don’t we think the official line that the Presidency and military have been pushing on the state of the terrorism war is endangering our soldiers and nation? Can the government be more honest on the challenges it appears to be facing in prosecuting the war?
It is no longer acceptable for our heroes to die and not be accorded the honour of gallantry. The FG and the military must accord full military burial rites to the fallen soldiers and also publish the list of others who have died and had been buried discretely in recent times without giving the Nigerian people the opportunity to celebrate their gallantry.
The FG should immediately take measures to protect and preserve our soldiers, military establishments, our people and territory to avoid further deaths. It is time for a review of the current operational strategy being used to prosecute the war. It is also high time that our Intel was revamped.