Military veterans protested at the Ministry of Defense in Abuja on Monday about 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.
The Ministry of Defence is housed in Ship House on Olusegun Obasanjo Way in the nation’s capital city, and protesters set up a tent there and blocked the entrance with it.
In January of this year, the retired military personnel picketed the National Assembly, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Defense in support of the same demand.
When speaking to our correspondent at the protest on Monday, REMENAF’s National Secretary, Ambassador Roy Okhidievbie, noted that the demonstration aimed to demand the payment of their
was to demand the payment of their security debarment allowance that the Federal Government owed them, the letter stated, adding that the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (ret. ), had refused to pay out the allowances despite having received permission from the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s (ret.) administration.
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.
Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, the CVV’s spokesperson, also revealed to our correspondent that Monday’s demonstration was focused on