Minister of State for Defence, Mrs. Olusola Obada, Tuesday
caused a stir when she slumped at the celebration of the Armed Forces
Remembrance Day in Abuja where President Goodluck Jonathan, along with
other top government officials and members of the diplomatic corps had
gathered to honour Nigeria’s fallen heroes.
The event was also held across the country where governors and others
laid wreaths and paid tributes to members of the nation’s armed forces
who had died in the course of defending the nation’s territorial
integrity or during peacekeeping.
The ceremony included a 21-gun
salute, playing of the Last Post, a minute's silence, laying of wreaths
and releasing pigeons, as a mark of peace.
Obviously exhausted
after standing in the scorching sun with the service chiefs and other
dignitaries for about four hours and jolted by the unexpected booms of
artillery gunfire at the occasion, the minister slumped, her white hat
fell off and she had to be assisted by aides who led her to a seat.
But
in a swift reaction to the report that she lost her bearing, the
minister, through her media aide, Mr. Femi Adefila, denied that she
slumped or fell during the ceremony.
The ceremony started at 10
am with the arrival of Jonathan, who is the grand patron of the Nigerian
Legion, at the National Arcade Three Arms Zone, Abuja.
The
president took the ritual gunshot salute shortly on arrival, after which
he inspected a parade in four colours - the national and the three
regimental colours of the army, the navy and the air force.
Afterwards,
prayers were offered for the repose of the souls of the fallen heroes
and for peace, security and unity of the nation.
It was then that
Jonathan, accompanied by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Senate President
David Mark, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu
Tambuwal, and Obada, proceeded to lay wreaths at the cenotaph.
Obada,
who was standing in between the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Admiral
Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim, and Tambuwal before the laying of wreath almost fell
down after standing for a long period but for the vigilance of the
security detail who came to her aid.
Obada went on to lay the wreath about five minutes later, saw off the president and was able to speak to journalists afterwards.
After
the wreath-laying ceremony and 21-gun salute, the president released
some pigeons to signify “unfettered freedom, unity, peace and harmony
for the country.”
However, the minister through her spokesman said she neither slumped nor fell during the ceremony.
“It
is not true and it is a fallacy that the Minister of State for Defence,
Erelu Olusola Obada, fell or slumped at the 2013 Armed Forces
Remembrance Day wreath-laying ceremony at the National Arcade, Abuja.
“The
minister as usual stood straight for about four hours in the scorching
sun along with Mr. President, Chief of Defence Staff, service chiefs and
other top government functionaries in honour of the fallen heroes. She
also laid the memorial wreath graciously betraying no sign of
exhaustion.
“The minister is used to the sight and sound of heavy
military artillery and there is no way the sound of gun salute could
have frightened her or made her to fall,” Adefila said in a statement
issued Tuesday.
At the celebration of the occasion in Abeokuta,
the Ogun State capital, former President Olusegun Obasanjo urged
Nigerian leaders to avoid any act that could lead to war again.
He said Nigerians should learn from history and urged governments at all levels to remember the families of the fallen heroes.
“Fortunately,
war is not a picnic. Unfortunately, when you engage in wars, lives are
bound to be lost. That is why, if as much as possible, wars should be
avoided.
“For us in Nigeria, even when we were fighting along
with the colonial power, we lost Nigerians in Burma and East Africa. But
since the days of the constabulary, because that is where the Nigerian
Army started from, Nigerian security forces have been losing lives
either in support of civil authority or in fighting local wars.
“The
aim of this (ceremony) is to constantly remember the sacrifice that
they have made, constantly remind ourselves that they left families
behind who need to be cared and catered for and constantly to remind us
that whatever might have led to the loss of lives of members of our
armed forces will no longer recur. That we learn from history by
constantly reminding ourselves of the history of our country,” he said.
There
was, however, some mild drama during the occasion as Obasanjo declined a
request by Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, to lay a
wreath.
He also refused entreaties by the deputy governor, Chief
Segun Adesegun, the Iyalode of Egbaland, Mrs. Alaba Lawson, to lay the
wreath.
It is believed that he turned down the request because his name was not on the list of those that would lay the wreath.
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