38 years after, civil war officers decry non-payment of pension

CIVIL war officers who voluntarily retired or were discharged from service during the federal military government regime of between 1976 and 1979 have decried the non payment of their military pension benefit from 1978 till date.

The group of officers, in a statement signed by National Coordinator, Group of Able Voluntary Retired or Discharged 10 Years and Above Military Service, Sergeant Kasali Busari (rtd), referred to the past Federal Military Government Regime circular No 4/1977, dated March 30, 1977, which qualified them as payable pensioners.

The First Republic of Nigeria, 1963 (intake) officers and other ranks with the service of 10 years and less than 15 years, argued that they were eligible to be paid a pension at the rate of 30 per cent of terminal salary or 40 per cent in the case of Armed Forces personnel.

While bemoaning that their representations to several governments over the years had not yielded positive results, the officers said that they awaited payment of their pensions having been incorporated in the 2015 general military pensions verification exercise done by the President Muhammadu Buhari government.

“We are group of the first Republic of Nigeria, 1963 (intake) that practically prosecuted the past Nigeria and defunct Biafra civil war between 1967 and 1970 respectively, and thereafter voluntarily retired or discharged from 1978 to 1992 in accordance with the past federal military government regime from 1976 to 1979 published circular No 4/1977 dated 30th March 1977.”

The statement added, “The circular indicated that when such officers served for 10 years or more but less than 15 years, they will be paid a pension at the rate of 30 per cent of terminal salary (40 per cent in the case of Armed Forces personnel). Majority of the 1963 (intake) that actively prosecuted the past Nigeria and defunct biafra civil war already qualified as payable pensioners from 1978 till date.”

“After we were retired or discharged under the protected FMG published circular and decree of 1977 and 1979 respectively, we were not paid our military pension benefit, despite the fact that we made several representation to the past elected government.”

“The first Republic of Nigeria 1963 (intake) officers and other ranks with the service of above 10 years and less than 15 years in the Nigeria Armed Forces had not been paid their military pension after the general military pensions verification exercise for the past 12 months calendar of the year.”

“It will be unfortunate to subject these courageous citizens to untold hardship in their old age when as matter of law, the right to receive pension is guaranteed by the provision of the section 173 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”