Military veterans appeal to Buhari regarding unpaid pensions

Veterans of the military from the state of Ekiti have asked President Buhari to keep them from going hungry and being poor.

The veterans, some of whom fought in the Nigerian Civil War, said that they are still owed their monthly pension.

Alhaji Bello Oseni, the association’s secretary for Ekiti State, declared in a statement released yesterday that “the position of our men is quite dreadful; some are sick and cannot even afford to feed themselves.” Some people struggle to afford even one meal a day, and others with chronic illnesses like blindness and stroke lack the funds to care for themselves. Some people are homeless.

Alhaji Oseni stated: “On November 17, 2022, the President Buhari administration approved an amount of N134.7 billion to pay the pensions of military veterans who fought in the Nigerian Civil War to take care of themselves and their families.

The money hasn’t yet been paid to us, despite President Buhari’s approval of it.

The veterans are begging Nigerian politicians, the House of Representatives, the Senate, the governors of the states, and President Buhari—whom they thank for the approval—to have mercy on them and pay their monthly pension arrears as soon as possible.

As we observe 2023 Armed Forces Remembrance Day this year, they pleaded, “We respectfully appeal to our president and those in command to compensate the veterans and put a smile on our face.”