‘Why’re They Punishing Us’- Civil War Soldiers Ask For 44 Years Pension

Retired soldiers who fought to defend Nigeria against Biafran soldiers during the civil war have berated the Federal Government for refusing to pay their pensions for the past 44 years.

The National Coordinator, First Intake Able Voluntarily Retired or Discharged Ten or More Years in Military Service, Pa Babawande Philips, revealed this in an interview with THE WHISTLER on Wednesday.

He said many of the ex-soldiers had died because they could not eat nor treat common ailments associated with old age

The retired soldier stated that they had been on the case for many years adding that they had done biometric capturing twice but still they refused to pay them.

Philips said, “I don’t know whether they are not aware of circular that came out in 1977 that any soldier that spent 10 years or less than 15 years in the army is qualified to be paid pensions. If they are not aware of it, they should go and search for it.

“We have all these documents with us. We have the verification papers, biometrically captured in 2007 and 2015. We all have it with us. So, we don’t know the reason why they should continue to punish us. A lot of my people are in abject poverty, many have died.

“It is the height of wickedness to pay Biafran soldiers who fought against Nigeria and exclude those of us who fought on the side of Nigeria to keep it united.

“Those in the military now are seeing what they are doing to us and they know it is unthinkable that they can come up with any excuse to deny us our entitlements.

“We served under President Muhammadu Buhari then. We were his boys and I am.sure he is not aware of our plights, if he is aware , I know he will ask them to pay us. That is why we are seeking his intervention in our case “