Tuesday, 20 January 2015

Revisiting Nigeria military pensioners’ woes-By Joy Baba Yesufu



alex-badeh
15th of January every year is usually set aside by the Nigerian Government and Authorities of the armed forces to remember our fallen heroes.
These fallen heroes are said to be military officers who laid down their lives for the unity of our beloved country. They fought to thick and thin to ensure that Nigeria remain one undivided country no matter what anybody or group of people think or believe.
A lot laid down their lives to achieve this purpose, others survive but are permanently maimed from Gun shots injury while another set are alive and retired from active service.
In the entire categories above, one thing is common in their fight “Nigeria Unity”. They are being remembered today for these ultimate sacrifice especially those who lost their lives.
Shortly before this year’s armed forces remembrance day, President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja commissioned a military cenotaph in memory of the nation’s fallen heroes from 2011 till date.
The cenotaph has names of officers and men who paid the supreme price in the course of various operations especially the current war against insurgency in the north east.
In his address at the occasion, Jonathan said this great monument is a clear testimony that government would always remember those who served this country, especially the military and the paramilitary officers that have to be awake for others to sleep.
“People may not know exactly what you are passing through, they have different opinions but I believe that you are doing the best under the circumstances that you are working.
“Government will continue to encourage you, by providing what is required”, the president assured.
One feature of the Armed Forces remembrance day, year in year out is the different complaints and protests by the military pensioners on how their welfare is never taken into consideration despite assurances by Federal Government and the military authorities to carter for them.
Few days before this year’s celebration, some retired personnel of the Nigerian Military under the umbrella of the Ex- Service Men Welfare Association threatened to embark on a peaceful protest on the day set aside for the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration over non-payment of their pension arrears by the government.
The leadership of the Association said in a statement said that the peaceful protest was intended to call the attention of the government and the public to the plight of the military pensioners.
The statement signed by Col. PA Zubair, Col. HI Ikoghode, MWOs U Samuel and A Agbas, added that the military pensioners had been made to go through harrowing hardship because of the failure of the government to fulfil promises made to them in relation with the issue of the prompt payment of their pension allowances.
The ex-service men argued that it was wrong on the part of the government to celebrate the fallen heroes while their counterparts who are alive are left to starve.
“The members of the Ex-Service Men Welfare Association hereby wish to request for your kind support to bring to the notice of the general public of the plight of the Armed Forces pensioners.
“The military pensioners have continued to face untold hardship as a result of government refusal to pay our outstanding pension arrears since July 2010 to date.
“However, we have been subjected to all forms of deceit from the government and its various organs responsible for the payment of the pension arrears in the annual budget that has not seen the light of the day…
“It is the height of hypocrisy to vote huge sums of money for the fallen heroes every year while the living ones are forgotten and dying of hunger.
“The living heroes are ready to stage a nationwide protest to show the world our plight. No going back on our 53.37% pension arrears based on the correct data.
“We have legally earned the money and refusing to pay us or tampering with it is totally unacceptable,” the statement read.
The Ex-servicemen had threatened to disrupt the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebrations scheduled for Thursday, over 30 months of unpaid pension arrears from the 2010 pension increment on December 10, 2014.
The ex-servicemen are angry that the Ministry of Finance opted, without consultations, to implement 33 per cent increment for them while civilians and their counterparts had received the allowances.
They added that ‘even the so called 53.37 per cent that was illegally being reduced to 33 percent was based on wrong data,’ which could be corrected with the implementation of the 2007 pension review among others.
Why are the bodies responsible for pensioners playing with fire at this critical period of this nation? Why do we have to face pensioners protest every year and with same complain?
If their complains are not true, why haven’t the military authority or the Federal Government come out to deny or defend these allegations?
A military source who spoke on condition of anonymity said salaries of the armed forces are usually reviewed after every five years. He said as the salaries of that of the serving men are reviewed and effected it is expected that salaries of the retired men are also reviewed and effected.
The source said every review and increment is always effected on the salaries of serving military officers. How come the 2010 review has been effected on serving officers and that of retired officers, especially those who fought during the war are not effected?
In 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan approved a new salary scale and review of 53 per cent for the armed forces. Soon, it will be another five years and a new salary structures will be approved again. Is this government going to wait to accumulate this 53 per cent then add the next new increment?
Federal Government and military authority are truly joking with these retired men who are trained in the usage of arms. This poses great danger to the nation
There are also serious fears that these pensioners may attack the pension board since some of them assume that their monies are being held by the board.
Is the Federal Government and military authority going to wait until these men (pensioners) take up arms against them before they respond to their needs? These are questions seriously begging for answers.

Culled from peoples daily

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