DAY OF REMEMBRANCE OF THE VICTIMS OF RWANDA GENOCIDE: APRIL 7, 2016. From Her Excellency, Hon. Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike

The United Nations Organization has named April 7 of every year as the day of remembrance of the victims of the Rwandan Genocide. Today's observance is in commemoration of the death of about 800,000 people who were murdered during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, Central Africa and to further enlighten us on the dangers of genocide with the compelling need of avoiding its reoccurrence in future.

In 1994, within a space of 3 months, there was a great massacre of people from two tribes, totalling about 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda civil war which is known as the Rwandan Genocide.

This heinous act has been labelled as an unparalleled modern genocide, a systematic attempt to exterminate the Tutsi minority and Hutu moderates in the name of a supremacist ideology propounded by Hutu extremists called Hutu power. It was in its execution, one of the most unequivocal cases of genocide the world has ever witnessed. The 100 days decimated Rwanda in 1994, as one of the defining barbaric acts of human kind.

At no time in our history have so many persons been murdered so fast or personally slaughtered by hand with home made weapons and household tools, knives, hammers and machetes against one's neighbours. Some of the survivors narrated how children were clubbed to death and pregnant women were cut open with local knives before they give up the ghost.

The incident of the Rwandan Genocide brings to our minds, the dangers of tribal/ethnic hatred, political and cultural wars, prejudice, bigotry, xenophobia and the need for us to continually raise awareness against the rise of these ill concerted beliefs that may result in acts of genocide.

It is on record that the Rwandan survivors, many years after the genocide, still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder of the bloody massacre and continue to tell gory stories of their experiences thereby bringing to our minds, the devastation of genocide. This is what we should not allow to take place in our Nation both at the Federal and State levels.

To this extent, I would like to state here that the United Nations Organization could be more proactive by taking steps to arrest situations or activities tending towards genocide, especially amongst member countries. Apart from prevailing on the governments of countries to prevent and adequately take care of such situations where they occur, they could also send monitors to investigate and assess these instances and take further actions against defaulting governments in order to secure lives.

They should also seriously consider the reports and protests of citizens and punish persons found to aid and abet these activities under different guises. The essence simply, is to prevent, rather than cure the occurrence of genocide that is yet to be quelled in some parts of the world. I'm sure that there are many other means that do not occur to me at this time, which can be employed in quelling these dastardly and barbaric tendencies.

I continue to appeal to us all on this day of solemn remembrance of the victims of the Rwandan Genocide to live for peace, promote and encourage peace for a harmonious coexistence so as to curb the obvious threat of recent rising acts of violence and terrorism in our country, Nigeria.

God bless and keep you and your families.

From Her Excellency,
Hon. Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike,
The Wife of His Excellency,
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike CON,
The Governor of Rivers State, Nigeria.