Military veterans have over time advocated for improved welfare to meet economic realities of the day after years of service to the Nation.
As the world marks armed forces remembrance day on 11 November 2023, veterans who fought for the Nigerian civil but exited after 10 years and above demanded inclusion into federal government’s pension roll.
In a letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by a group of veterans under the aegis of ‘Able Retired Soldiers’ signed by the National Coordinator, Cpl Babawande Philip and National Secretary Cpl Okewuyi Bayo National Secretary, said some members of 63 Nigerian Army intake have not been paid pension or any other benefits after over four decades of the end of Nigeria Civil war.
“On behalf of the Ex-soldiers especially the 63NA intake that fought in the Civil War to keep Nigeria united, we write to Your Excellency to inform you about our predicament. Over forty years after the Civil War, many of us have not enjoyed the benefit of being placed on Military Pension Roll talk less of being paid our pension. We have aired our grievances through different medium put to no avail”.
The soldiers voluntarily exited the service after 10 years but less than 15 years in line with circular no 4 of 1977.
However, decree no 102 of 1974 upon ‘misinterpretation ‘ barred soldiers who served 10 years and less than 15 from pension.
The veterans explained that “the Ministry of Establishment’s Circular Letter No 4 of 1977 which was published on 30” March 1977 titled “Review of the pension Scheme for the Public Services. The said circular letter nad its approval from 1“ April 1977. Paragraph B (v) provided that as from 1″ April 1977, the annual pension payable to officers who retired from the Public Service between 1 April 1974 when the existing regulation came into force on 31% March 1977 shall be at the reduced rates indicated in the Annex to the circular where such officers served for the period of 10 years or more but less than 15 years, they will be paid a pension at the rate of 30% terminal salary (40% in the case of the armed forces personnel). It was based on this circular letter No. 4 of 1977 that most of us voluntarily retired”.
Note that President Muhammadu Buhari ex Biafran soldiers their pension benefits.
The letter said “Respectfully Your Excellency, we are compelled to ask this salient question, is it a crime to be committed to the cause of our father’s land that we are not given our pecuniary benefits?” We did work tirelessly towards achieving a United Federal Nigeria while we were young. Mr. President Sir, we are now aged, strength has failed most of us. The youngest among us are Septuagenarian; some among us Octagenerian and Monagenarian are within us as well.
Your Excellency sir, we are living in abject poverty, our daily sustenance has been at the mercy of the public, and our life is fast ebbing away. The future appears bleak and uncertain for us at our age, untold hardship toil on us because we do not have anything to fall back on or to hold unto”
