EXTRA: Shettima declares Dec 22 as Sambisa memorial day

Kashim Shettima, governor of Borno state, has declared December 22 as Sambisa memorial day.

Speaking at the opening of the Nigerian Army Small Arms Championship in Sambisa on Monday, Shettima said the day should be used in remembering those who sacrificed their lives for stability in the region.

“Beginning from 2017, December 22 of every year is to be marked as SAMBISA MEMORIAL DAY which will be public holiday in Borno state for the purpose of remembering victims of Boko Haram insurgents, the victory recorded by the Nigerian military and the remembrance of fallen soldiers and volunteers who sacrificed their lives fighting Boko Haram since 2009 in different parts of Borno state,” he said.

He said the day would also be used to remember members of the Nigerian armed forces and volunteers who lost their lives in the fight against the insurgents.

“The Borno government will do everything possible to ensure that the patriotism of our heroes is supremely preserved and not taken for granted,” he said.

He congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and the military for chasing away the Boko Haram insurgents from their Sambisa stronghold.

“Based on Buhari’s announcement, the Sambisa forest became deceased or dead at about 1.35 p.m. on December 22, 2016,” he said.

“Three months after its demise, today marks the official funeral of the Sambisa forest. I am proud to have witnessed this funeral and I congratulate all of us for being witnesses to the triumph of good over evil.”

Shettima said that the state government was also working on plans to set up a museum to be named Sambisa to document all materials related to the military fight against the Boko Haram.

“The fall of Sambisa is both symbolic and memorable and that is why as a government, we are taking steps to preserve the history behind the fall of Sambisa,” he said.

“And to spectacularly document the roles played by everyone from the commander-in-chief, our service commanders and soldiers.

“Very soon, the state government will respectively request for partnership with the federal ministry of defence and the federal ministry of information to construct a museum that will be named Sambisa Fall and International Research Centre.”

Shettima said the center would be used for the purpose of documenting all due classified information on the fight against Boko Haram.

“The centre will also help to preserve valuable materials recovered by the military in relation to the fight against Boko Haram terrorists and to document history of the crisis from the days of Taliban to the Boko Haram terrorism,” he said.

“Importantly, our aim is to document responses by successive political and military leadership and the eventual fall of Sambisa forest under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

” We hope that such a museum will become a global custodian of information and valuable materials on issues relating to the Boko Haram and the role played by the Nigerian military and the multi national forces.

“We will propose that the museum should have a hall of fame for fallen heroes which will bear names and pictures of notable officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

“Also, the hall of fame will bear the names of the paramilitary, the Civilian JTF and the hunters who paid supreme price in helping to free us from Boko Haram terrorists.”