President Goodluck Jonathan says he gets very worried whenever the Nigerian military is subjected to public criticism and chaste.
He said Nigerians need to inculcate the habit of giving respect to members of the nation’s security forces because they make it possible for them to sleep in peace at night.
Jonathan made the utterance on Saturday, February 14, during a presidential dinner organised in honour of widows of the nation’s fallen heroes at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the president, the decision to host the widows was borne out of the government’s appreciation of their husbands who paid the supreme sacrifice while securing the nation.
He said: “Most of you (the widows) would have been surprised that why should the President call us here. It has not happened before. This is the first time that the President would be interacting with the wives of the fallen heroes.”
“We appreciate the services of your husbands and your fathers within the armed forces and other security agencies, because we sleep while they are in fears and while protecting the nation, some of them paid the supreme sacrifice. That is why I personally get worried when some public utterances that are not expected are made of them.”
“All nations respect their military and their intelligent services because without these people, we wouldn’t have been here. Without these people, there wouldn’t have been any Nigeria.”
“What keep us together as a nation are the activities of these people. I use this opportunity to call on all of us Nigerians to continue to show gratitude and appreciation to our security services.”
