On Monday, military veterans protested at the Ministry of Defense in Abuja over the non-payment of their Security Debarment Allowance and other issues under the auspices of the Retired Members of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Coalition of Concerned Military Veterans.
As a result, the demonstrators blocked the entrance to the Ministry of Defence, which is housed in Ship House on Olusegun Obasanjo Way in the nation’s capital.
The retired military personnel earlier this year picketed the National Assembly, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Defense in an effort to press their demand.
Speaking to our correspondent during the protest on Monday, Ambassador Roy Okhidievbie, the National Secretary of REMENAF, said that the group was protesting to get the Federal Government to pay the security debarment allowance that was owed to them. He added that the allowances had been approved by the government of President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) but had not yet been paid out.
We have met with the defence minister, Magashi, but he comes across as headstrong, heartless, and unconcerned about the complaints of retired military officers because he never paid nor displayed any interest in paying these allowances, particularly the Security Debarment Allowance, Okhidievbie said.
It’s interesting that the administration of President Buhari has given the go-ahead to pay this stipend, but Magashi has declined to do so.
