Ex-soldiers to protest unpaid pension arrears

The leadership of the retired personnel of the Nigerian military, under the aegis of the Ex-Service Men Welfare Association, has said it will on Thursday, January 15, 2015 embark on a peaceful protest to bring attention to the plight of military pensioners.

In a statement by the group, the day which is meant to celebrate the Armed Forces Remembrance Day, would be used to protest their neglect by government, and government's failure to pay the members pension arrears.

The statement by Col. P. A. Zubair, Col. H. I. Ikoghode, MWOs U. Samuel and A. Agbas, said: “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.”