The Nigerian Military Veterans have called on the President for an upward review of the salaries and pension of the serving, and retired personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, (AFN).
The Chairman, Military Veterans Welfare Committee (MVWC), Air Commodore Isaac Oguntuyi Retired, made the call when briefing Journalists during the conference by Military Veterans Welfare Committee for Review of the Implementation of security debarment allowance, pensions and other benefits of serving/retired Soldiers and officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The Chairman said that “the conference is significant in a number of ways as it comes up 6 days before the Armed Forces Remembrance Day, which is a day set aside for paying tribute to our colleagues who paid the supreme sacrifice in the service of our dear country”.
According to him, to the veterans’ community of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), the Remembrance Day is not only symbolic but germane to the continuous peaceful existence of the nation, so that their labour shall not be in vain.
He noted that it is in this regard that veterans would like to sensitise the veterans’ body and the general public on issues that border on the livelihood of the veterans, which are also likely to be morale boosters to their colleagues, still in service.
He stated that the conference is actually targeted at their constituency, the Nigerian Military Veterans Community at home and in diaspora.
Air Commodore Oguntuyi said that “the conference is also aimed at giving feedback on their various engagements with the Minister of Defence (HMoD) in the last two months on the welfare of their members”.
He added that the aim of the conference is essentially to sensitise the veterans’ community and the general public on the ongoing efforts of the Committee collaborating with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to bring succour to the retirees.
The Chairman said “the essence of upward review of their salaries/pensions is that the Nigeria of yesterday is not the Nigeria of today”.
According to him, on the resumption of office, the Honourable Minister of Defence, HMoD Alhaji Abubakar Badaru in order for him to get the grip of the lingering issues, so as to enable him attend to them accordingly called for a meeting with the veterans’ associations at the Ship House on 8 November 2023.
Thereafter, a Committee of 5 members, the Military Veterans Welfare Committee, headed by Air Commodore Isaac Oguntuyi, Retired was composed.
According to him, this is a standing committee that is mandated to work directly with the Minister in order to present and address the persistent problems of veterans.
“This assignment was ostensibly carried out and a report was written and has been submitted on 30 November 2023 to the HMoD for necessary actions. We are very grateful for this generous and kind disposition”, he said.
The Chairman added that it should be noted that the essence of the payment of allowances and other entitlements to veterans is to reward their loyalty and commitment to Nigeria while in Service and alleviate their pains after exit from active service to Fatherland.
According to him, the veterans are not immune from rising inflation in all sectors of society.
“These veterans served Nigeria patriotically throughout their Service years in the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) with valour and honour”, he said.
He noted that the critical areas that the submitted report covered are as follows:
a. Seeking bulk payment and use of the same template for the payment of the already partially approved Security Debarment Allowance (SDA).
b. Review of the unjustifiable and arbitrary wide disparity in pension payments within ranks.
c.Upward reviews of salaries/pensions of the serving/retired personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
d. Implementation of Post Service benefits in accordance with Harmonised Terms and Condition of Service (HTACOS).
e. Necessity for the establishment of Veterans Federation of Nigeria (VFN) as it is in other climes.
f. Inevitability for the overhauling of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cater for sick veterans.
According to him, they are also looking into the case of the Nigerian Civil War Veterans, who fought on the side of Nigeria and are yet to be placed on pension payroll as has been done in favour of their Biafra counterpart including policy review for boarded soldiers.
He added that these are the next stages of their mandate in collaboration with the office of HMoD.
He noted that the issue of palliatives for the veterans and payments to the veterans is of utmost importance, which has recently surfaced from nowhere, but as a result of Mr. President Proclamation.
“Recently, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved and extended the inclusion and distribution of palliatives to the Nigerian Military Veterans and their families. We are most grateful for the gesture. Unfortunately, this gesture of palliative payments has not been properly handled despite the fact that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs promised to pay the veterans before the end of the year 2023. These payments to military veterans are still outstanding”, he said.
However, he said that he was in touch with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs on 8 January 2024 and he was assured that they are working with the MPB and the payments will commence before the end of January 2024.
He further informed that they are only entitled to the N25,000 monthly palliative for 3 months period.
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