Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, on Tuesday presented cheques of 3 million naira as micro-credit loans to widows of fallen soldiers from the 32 Artillery Brigade. Owena Cantonment, Akure, who lost their lives in the war front.



The governor also doled out a cash gift of N100, 000 to each to 30 widows of the fallen heroes from the cantonment, with a promise that his administration will continue to put smiles on the faces of the dependants of the fallen heroes.



Akerdolu, who gave cheques to the dependants of the dead soldiers at the parade and wreath-laying ceremony of the 2019 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration, held at the state cenotaph, Akure, the state capital, said the token is to cushion the impact of immediate problems engendered by the unfortunate losses.



He added that no amount of money can replace the lives of the dead soldiers, and called on individuals and corporate organisations to assist in bringing smiles to the faces of this category of persons who had become vulnerable because of the loss of their breadwinners.



The governor also donated an operational vehicle to the Nigerian Legion in the state ,in fulfilment of his promise to the demands of the Legion.



While highlighting the steps taken so far by his administration to ensure security of lives and properties in the state, Akeredolu said, “I want to seize this opportunity to thank the security agencies for their efforts in providing security in the State



“Recently, Operation Egwu Eke III was launched in the state to address our security challenges. This was not unconnected with the incessant cases of kidnapping, armed robbery and ritual killings in parts of the state



“I want to thank the Brigade Commander and his officers and men for their gallantry. We have started to see the effect of this exercise as all these crime prone areas have been quiet of late



“The state government is also holding meetings with all the relevant stakeholders in the state, including the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and our traditional institutions



“Also, as part of efforts to completely stem the tide, in the next few weeks, we shall be providing additional new operational vehicles for our security agencies for adequate, effective and efficient patrol of the State



“The state government is also organising a Security Summit later in the week. We are looking at the security architecture of the state holistically and trying to look at the challenges and proffering suitable solutions. I want to assure you of the readiness of the State Government to implement workable solutions generated at the end of the summit. ”



Governor Akeredolu also said his administration has given the state’s cenotaph a face-lift in line with the demand of the Chairman, Nigerian Legion in the State.



According to him, ” It is obvious that the Cenotaph that was constructed in 1994 had suffered serious neglect for many years. This was the situation when the demand for the upgrade/facelift was made, which led to what we are all seeing today



“Though the work started late, it is, however, gratifying to see the effort we are making in renovating the Cenotaph. In a similar vein, I want to enjoin the Chairmen of Caretaker Committees in the Local Government Councils to consider having befitting Cenotaphs in their respective Local Government Area Headquarters in the State



“The spirits of our departed heroes lying symbolically within the Cenotaph, deserve our recognition and appreciation at all times”.



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