President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been called upon to urgently review and improve on the benefits and pensions of military retirees in the country to prevent a situation where the services of these highly trained personnel with special skills become accessible to non state actors, like terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.
Immediate Past President of the NDA 35 Regular Course Foundation, Air Commodore Emmanuel Golit (Rtd) who made the call, also urged the President Bola Tinubu administration to review the Pension Act of the armed forces which came into existence in the 1970s, noting that it has lost tough with current realities.
Speaking at the 40 years anniversary of the foundation at the weekend, Air Commodore Golit said, “The military, anywhere is the foundation of nation states. If there’s no security in any country, no interests, no industry, no parliament, nothing will work. So having served your country diligently for 30, 35 years, up to the point of retirement, it is incumbent on government to see to the welfare of members of the Security agencies, particularly because this retirees have skills that can be borrowed, that can be paid for by insurgents”.
“If government doesn’t debar them, then you cant blame them. So for such a group, you need to devise means of preventing them, security wise, from selling their skills, either to bandits or to terrorist, non state actors, as the case may be, because when you live this group hungry or you don’t care for them, you are exposing them with such skills to look for means of livelihood.
“A lot of strange things can happen. So it’s an appeal to the government, to from time to time review, the welfare conditions of members of the armed forces, armed forces pension act has been there for so long. Since the 70s.
“There has been no deliberate policy to review this document to see to how we can add to new areas that can assist members on their right. Thay have so many skills.
“Some were retired prematurely after spending so much money in training them to acquire those skills. And there’s been no deliberate policy to ensure that government will get value for the money invested after the retirement. There is no policy orn loan facilities for those who have skills to ensure they give back to society.
“If this is done, they will create jobs, the jobs will go to Nigerians, or you keep them busy instead of wasting those skills. In other climes, you don’t stay in the armed forces for up to 10 years or you’re retired and left to go. They must look for somewhere to fix him so that he can continue to help your country. That way it is beneficial to government, it is beneficial to this country and it remains safe.
Commenting on how fhe group has fared in the last 40 years since foundation, Golit said, “Some 12 years ago, we agreed amongst ourselves that, it would be good for us to have an association that will assist all of us when there is need. This need extends to the society, our children, our wives, our members, and everybody that we can assist.
“The whole idea is that as a group, we must look out for each other, and see how we support each other in so many ways, in terms of weddings, in terms of deaths, in terms of adverse sickness. Some people may fall in some areas. The whole idea is that we should stand for each other, one for all, all for one
We do advise our colleagues who are still in service, most of whom we met in NDA. As we grew in service we related well. With the current challenges the country is facing, it is incumbent on every one of us, those of us who are retired from the military, members of society, civil society, the community, people to all work together to support government in defeating this challenges, particularly the insecurity that Nigeria is facing.
“So once in a while, through various outfits, we give our advice and suggestions to government to see how we can all defeat terrorism and all the challenges that are facing our country.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees, 35 RC, Maj.-Gen. John Malu (Rtd), said that Jan. 19 marked the 40 years of their entrance into the NDA as regular cadets, adding that many of them had served 35 years and retired.
Malu said their quest to continue in their unison, propelled them to form the foundation to be able to assist themselves and the needy.
He said the nation must accept that Nigeria was going through trying periods, particularly as it affected security, and called on all the security forces to close ranks in tackling the challenges head on.
“it is a matter of time and the nation will overcome because evil cannot triumph over good, and our security forces have been doing their best” he added.
In his remarks, Minister of Defence, Mohamned Abubakar Badaru, who was represented by the Special Adviser, Technical, Major General AT Jibril (Rtd), congratulated the retired officers for being alive to celebrate 40 years anniversary and prayed they would be alive to celebrate 50 years anniversary and more
Badaru also sympathized with families of those who had passed away, and prayed for good health for the living members while urging them to continue to sustain the bond of unity between them.
He urged them to continue to look for opportunities to make themselves relevant wherever they found themselves and try to also mentor as many of those still serving as possible
A new executive was elected to run the affairs of the Association christiend “Freinds of the Needy, Hope and Succour Foundation” with Air Commodore Danladi Bausa (Rtd) emerging as President, Brigadier MS Adanu (Rtd), Vice President and Navy Commodore LN Ugwu (Rtd) as Legal Adviser while Commodore JN Dunze (Rtd) was elected Membership Secretary.
Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao (Rtd) is the Patron of NDA Course 35 Regular Foundation.
Air Commodore Bausa on his part commended President Bola Tinubu for his utterances, assurances and manner he has related with serving and retired veterans since assumption of office noted that the upward review of military pensions for retirees should reflect current economic realities
He encouraged those still serving to continue to give in their best in all the theatres of operations, to counter the menace of insurgency and other forms of insecurity bedeviling the country.
His words, “There are distractions and challenges, no doubt that should be expected, but I want to encourage them to keep doing what they are doing and what they know how to do best and if possible, eliminate the enemies of this country from the face of the earth”.
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“As the new President of NDA Regular 35, we will build in the successes of the outgone executive because they did very well. The current situation of the country demands holistic intervention. We shall continue to enhance the well being of those left behind by our fallen heroes”, he added.
