Some retired military officers, on Monday, defied early morning downpour to stage the third phase of their protest at the headquarters of Ministry of Defence, Abuja.
The protesters lamented the non-payment of
their Security Debarment Allowance, among others.
The aggrieved protesters, joined by some
relatives of the deceased personnel, blocked access road to the Ministry located
at Ship House on Olusegun Obasanjo Way in the Federal Capital Territory.
The military veterans under the aegis of
the Retired Members of Nigerian Armed Forces and the Coalition of Concerned
Veterans, accused the Minister of Defence, Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi (Retd), of
being insensitive to their plight.
Addressing reporters during the protest,
spokesman of the CVV, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, vowed that they would not
leave the ministry’s entrance until their demands are met.
He said they had already made arrangement
to sleep overnight if the situation warrants.
“We are here alongside our wives and
children, and the widows of late military personnel and veterans who died in
service, some of whom died fighting Boko Haram terrorists. We’ll be sleeping
over at this place until the Minister of Defence, Magashi accede to our
demands,” he said.
On his part, the National Secretary of
RMNAF, Roy Okhidievbie, who explained that the demonstration was to demand the
payment of their security debarment allowance owed them by the Federal
Government.
He accused the Minister of refusing to
disburse the allowances despite approval by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We have had meetings with the Defence
Minister, Magashi, but he appears to be headstrong, heartless, and unperturbed
concerning the grievances of retired military officers, as he never paid nor
showed any interest or concern to pay these allowances, especially the Security
Debarment Allowance.”
“Interestingly, President Buhari-led
administration has approved the payment of this allowance, but Magashi have
refused to make disbursements,” Okhidievbie said.