Ignoring our Gallant Heroes

On Nigeria’s 50th Independence anniversary in October 2010, many observers of the military were astounded that President Goodluck Jonathan’s elaborate 45 minutes speech did not reference or acknowledge the role of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) in the country’s journey to that milestone. Neither did he pay any tribute to the souls of those who laid down their lives to keep Nigeria as a single entity or those who have helped in the past to project the country’s power and influence within the subregion, Africa, and the world. In a presidential speech that eulogised and paid glowing tributes to Nigerian scientists, writers, Nollywood stars, lawyers, economists, doctors, diplomats and academics, failure to recognise the military marked a sour point. It is inconceivable that on such occasion, a United States President or British Prime Minister, or indeed any other leader within the continent would make such a momentous omission.

Depending on their antecedents and place in history, the military in many countries remains a highly respected and revered institution. In the United States, for instance, history has taught the people of the gallant role played by the military in the defeat of the British invaders during the American Revolutionary War of 1775-1783 which led to the declaration of independence on 4 July 1776. And when the Confederates of 11 Southern states opted to leave the union between 1860-61 over some long-standing disagreement on the institution of slavery, history taught generations of Americans thereafter, the role the military played in preserving the US as a constitutional union.

In the UK, respect for the military stems from the noble roles it has played in the past to keep the sovereignty of the attractive island that overlooks continental Europe across the English Channels. From the battles of Agincourt (1415), Trafalgar (1805), Waterloo (1815), Somme (1916), and Passchendaele (1917), the

British military’s monumental sacrifice in blood and sweat has ensured the great power status it enjoys today. For several years after, the Royal Air Force exploit that thwarted Hitler’s invading Army in the famous Battle of Britain (1940) remains one unique event that is celebrated annually in the UK. As a reminder, Hitler’s planned invasion of Britain, codenamed ‘Operation Sea Lion’ was aimed at establishing control over the UK for strategic and political reasons. Some British people still hold the view that but for the heroic feats of the Royal Air