Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, the chief executive of Rivers State in southern Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region, has renewed his call for sustained support for families of fallen and retired members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, describing their sacrifices as central to the country’s unity, peace, and long-term stability.
The governor also reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to fulfil an earlier pledge to provide employment opportunities for 50 children of deceased military personnel, noting that the commitment remains active and binding on his government.
Okay News reports that Governor Fubara made these remarks on Tuesday, 23 December 2025, during the Emblem Appeal Launch marking activities ahead of the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration, which was held at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers State, Nigeria.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Fubara described the theme of the event, “Sacrifice and Unity: Honouring Our Heroes,” as deeply symbolic and relevant to Nigeria’s current realities, stressing that the nation owes a continuous moral and material obligation to its fallen defenders.
According to him, “Sacrifice, unity, honouring our heroes — it is very significant because, just like the drama sketch here explained, these are people who lived their lives for Nigeria. These are people who made sacrifices for the unity of this country, and the least we can do is to appreciate them, not just by coming here annually for the emblem launch. It should go beyond that to supporting those who are still alive and appreciating the dead through every other means available to us.”
Governor Fubara noted that many retired soldiers dedicated the greater part of their productive years to defending Nigeria’s territorial integrity and ensuring internal peace, often at great personal cost to themselves and their families.
Reiterating the Rivers State Government’s position on welfare support, the governor urged the Nigerian Legion, the statutory body representing military veterans in Nigeria, to formally submit the list of 50 eligible wards for immediate processing of employment.
He stated, “I want to say that the chairman somehow indicted me here, but thank God he did not say I am owing them. He said we made a promise to employ 50 of their wards. It was an order I gave. I am not the one who will start doing it. I expected that a list should have been forwarded to my office, and if I did not act on it, that is when you would have come publicly to raise the issue. So please bring the list, and if you have brought it and I do not do anything, then let us see.”
The governor further explained that the annual remembrance programme is designed not only to honour fallen heroes but also to mobilise resources for those still alive who suffered injuries or permanent disabilities in the course of defending the nation.
He urged individuals, institutions, and corporate bodies to generously support the emblem appeal, assuring that the Rivers State Government has consistently stood with military veterans and their families.
Governor Fubara also acknowledged progress on infrastructural support for the Nigerian Legion, expressing optimism that the veterans’ secretariat project would be completed within the stipulated timeline.
He said, “I am really happy that the chairman made it public that we are ensuring they have their own secretariat, and by the special grace of God, it will be completed by the end of next year.”
Turning his attention to other stakeholders, the governor called on the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, the umbrella body representing Nigeria’s local government councils, to honour financial commitments made to the legion.
He remarked, “Today’s event is just to launch ahead of the main celebration on the 15th. Let me end by urging the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria chairman to redeem your pledge. Even if you cannot redeem it today, triple it. If the money had been in the bank, it should have yielded interest by now. So add interest to the old amount and make provision for additional contributions. With the calculation I have done here, I expect that about ₦100,000,000 should be given before you leave this place.”
Governor Fubara concluded by reminding participants that beyond the ceremonial nature of the event, its true purpose lies in tangible support for fallen heroes and their dependants.
He added, “So I urge everyone here to act according to their capacity. Make pledges you can redeem within time and assure the legion. As for my own part of the agreement that I have not met, once you submit the necessary documents, we will redeem that pledge.”
