A group of 63 retired Nigerian soldiers who fought in the Civil War has appealed to the federal government to settle their outstanding pension arrears.
The retired soldiers, enlisted between 1967 and 1978, claim they have not received their pension payments despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of N134.7 billion for military veteran pensions in 2020.
According to a statement by the group’s secretary, Alhaji Bello Oseni, their documentation was verified by the Military Pensioner Board in 2023, but they are yet to receive their dues.
The statement highlights the plight of the retired soldiers, aged between 76 and 85, who are struggling to make ends meet. Some are still living in their ancestral homes built in the 1920s and 1930s.
The group has appealed to former presidents, the Senate, House of Representatives, senior advocates of Nigeria, human rights activists, and influential individuals to intervene and assist them in retrieving their long-overdue pension payments.
Specifically, they have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Senate, and House of Representatives to intervene and settle their outstanding pension arrears.
They have also urged civil society organizations to advocate for their requests.
