A mild scenario ensued at the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony held at Ekwueme square in Awka as two military personnel slumped while participating in the parade.
Medical team including the Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Josephat Akabuike, were on hand to attend to the victims before they were rushed to undisclosed hospital for more medical attention.
An army source who pleaded anonymity said that the two military personnel might have been affected by what he described as ‘sun-stroke’, resulting from heavy sunshine.
“It’s not unusual to see such occurrence during parades, more so under intense sunshine. We are hoping they would come back in the end.
When contacted on the telephone later, the Anambra State Commissioner of Health declined comment on the matter, he said: “Go on with your investigation. I will get back to you later.”
But a source at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Teaching Hospital, who pleaded anonymity, said: “The soldier here is in a critical condition. He fell flat on his forehead, hitting the tar floor.
“He is at the intensive unit here. We pray he would survive. We suspect he had malignant malaria which aggravated his condition.”
In his speech on the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration, the Governor of Anambra State, Willy Obiano enjoined Nigerians to remember the families of the nation’s fallen heroes and pray for the souls of the departed.
He urged the Armed Forces to increase their courage in the defense of the country.
His words: “The military had done much to keep the nation one but for the internal and external wars these fallen heroes had fought, we would not have been enjoying the peace we have now.”
In his speech, the Anambra State chairman of the Nigeria Legion, Major Nwankwo Ifeanyichukwu (rtd.), called for a better welfare for members of the legion.
He described as worrisome that despite the contributions of the retired and dead military men, their families were still passing through harrowing economic experience due to poor remuneration.
(News Express)
[10:58 PM, 1/15/2018] Media at Award: