By Desire Uzochukwu
The Federal Government has pledged to complete the documentation of casualties, historical records and assets lost by Nigerian military personnel and other participants in the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), said the exercise was aimed at preserving the sacrifices and contributions of Nigerian personnel who participated in the regional peacekeeping and peace enforcement missions.
Musa gave the assurance when he received a delegation of ECOMOG veterans, led by Major General Ohifeme Ejimai (retd.), at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
According to a statement by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, the delegation visited to brief him on the association’s activities and ongoing initiatives.
The minister acknowledged the enormous human and financial resources Nigeria committed to the ECOMOG operations, particularly in Liberia and Sierra Leone, where Nigerian troops played significant roles in efforts to restore peace and stability.
He assured the veterans that efforts to document outstanding records, casualties and historical assets would be completed to ensure the sacrifices of those involved were properly preserved for posterity.
Musa stressed the importance of immortalising the legacy of Nigerian personnel who paid the supreme price during the operations, assuring the delegation that their contributions would not be forgotten.
Earlier, Ejimai provided an update on the condition of surviving Nigerian ECOMOG veterans, expressing their readiness to continue contributing to national development and security.
He urged the Ministry of Defence to address existing gaps in the documentation of the operations and the personnel involved.
The retired general also called for the establishment of a dedicated national Remembrance Day to honour the hundreds of Nigerian troops who lost their lives during the missions to restore peace and stability in West Africa.
ECOMOG was established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 1990 as a regional peacekeeping and peace enforcement force in response to conflicts that threatened regional stability.
Driven significantly by Nigerian leadership and military personnel, the force played a major role in efforts to contain the Liberian civil war and address the conflict in Sierra Leone, including the protection of civilians and the restoration of constitutional order.
The proposed completion of historical documentation is expected to help preserve the record of Nigeria’s military involvement in the regional operations and recognise the sacrifices made by personnel who served under the ECOMOG banner.
