Skip to main content

Ex-soldiers want FG to harmonise pension with salaries

pension

Retired soldiers in Cross River have appealed to the Federal Government to harmonise their pensions with salaries of serving army personnel.

Retired Col. Timothy Ushie, the Chairman of Nigerian Legion in Cross River, made the appeal on Sunday during the 2017 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in Calabar.

The Armed Forces Remembrance Day is an annual event held every Jan. 15 in honour of fallen heroes who lost their lives during the Nigerian civil war and the first and second world wars.

Ushie, who also appealed for timely payment of the ex-soldiers’ pensions, said that harmonising the pension with salaries of serving officers would address some grievances of the retired soldiers.

According to him, the Military Pension Board saddled with the responsibility of paying pensions of retired personnel has so far been transparent.

He added that “today, pensions are being paid promptly even though we still have some delays sometimes; but the system has been fair.

“I must commend the Board for doing a good job. But, we are appealing to the Federal Government to harmonise our pension with salaries of serving officers.”

Brig. Gen. Bulama Biu, the Commander of 13 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Calabar, said the day was significant because it was to remember fallen heroes who fought and died to sustain the unity of Nigeria.

Biu said that the Armed Forces would continue to work in harmony with other security agencies with a view to maintaining the nation’s peace and unity.

A retired army corporal, Thomas Okon, said the payment of pension to retired soldiers had improved from what it used to be.

He said “as a retired Nigerian soldier who fought in the civil war, my pension of N28,000 is not big; but I thank God that even with the delay, the money still comes.

“I am appealing to government to look into our plight and review our pension upwards because we fought for the unity of this country.”

Another retired soldier, Sgt. Paul Abang, appealed to the Federal Government to place premium on the welfare of ex-soldiers, saying some of them depended solely on it for their feeding and other uses.

Highlights of the event were the release of pigeons by the state`s Deputy Governor, Prof. Ivara Esu, the 21 gun shot salute and the laying of wreath by service chiefs and other dignitaries in the state.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fire: UniJos Senate convenes emergency meeting on Monday

Fire at the University of Jos Library University of Jos is to convene an emergency senate meeting on Monday to review the level of damage done to the institution by the Saturday night inferno. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, disclosed this on Sunday after inspecting areas affected by the incident. The fire, which lasted for more than six hours, destroyed the Library Complex that equally houses the faculties of management and social sciences. The fire also destroyed examination scripts, books and very crucial materials. Consequently, the vice-chancellor said “the Senate will meet tomorrow (Monday) to take a decision about the unmarked examination scripts that were burnt.” On the cause of the inferno, Maimako said investigation had commenced, adding that “nothing has been confirmed yet. We are still investigating.” The vice chancellor said the school was already working with federal authorities toward establishing a main fire station since the mini fire station in t...
Post a Comment
Read more

NDLEA arrests 252 suspects, seizes 3,073 kg Indian hemp

NDLEA operatives The NDLEA in Niger on Monday said that it had arrested 252 suspects and seized 3,073.9 kilogramme of Indian hemp(cannabis sativa) in the state. The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Joseph Iweajunwa, who disclosed this in Minna, said that the operations were carried out between January and September. “Our operations in Niger State from January to September 2016 led to the arrest of 252 suspects and seizure of 3,073.997 kilogramme of cannabis sativa,’’ he said. Iweajunwa said that within the period, the agency also seized 1, 530 litres of liquid drugs, especially cough syrup with codeine. He said the NDLEA also counselled and rehabilitated 90 drug addicts in the state within the period under review. The agency, he added, secured convictions of only nine of the suspects because the judge at the Federal High Court, Minna, went on leave. “ Now that the judge has resumed more suspects will be tried,’’ he said. He advised motorists, especially commercial vehicle dri...
Post a Comment
Read more