Two soldiers slump at Armed Forces day in Anambra

www.odogwublohg.com reports that two soldiers on Monday slumped at the 2018 Armed Forces and Remembrance Day ceremony held at the Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, Anambra State.

The two military personnel, one of the army and the other of the navy slumped while participating in a parade.

Medical team including the Anambra State  commissioner for Health, Dr Josephat Akabuike attended to the victims  before they were rushed to undisclosed hospital for more medical attention.

An army source who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that  the victims might have affected by what he called  'sun-stroke', resulting from heavy sunshine.

He said, "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.

A source at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Teaching Hospital, who confided in our correspondent 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 Anambra State Governor, Willy Obiano enjoined Nigerians to remember the families of the nation’s fallen heroes and pray for the souls of the departed.

He charged the Armed Forces to continue to have  the courage to defend the country.

Obiano said  the military had done much to keep the nation one, saying ``but for the internal and external wars these fallen heroes had fought, we would not have been enjoying the peace we have now’’.

Speaking, the Anambra State chairman of the Nigeria Legion,  Major Nwankwo Ifeanyichukwu,rtd, called for a better welfare for  members of the legion.

He said it was 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.