Retired Military Men At War With MOD Over Debarment Allowance

…Says Every Veteran Is Entitled

By: Okosun Dennis

What seems to be a battle of attrition is about playing out between retired military personnel and military authorities as some of the retirees have been denied Debarment allowance, just as the Military Pensions Board (MPB) have started disbursing to some select members of the Armed Forces.

Some claimed that the resolve not to pay them the allowance was “discriminatory practice” considering that the military authorities had in 2012 in a document “Manual of Financial Administration (MAFA)” outlined that both the living and the dead would be a beneficiaries of the allowance.

They averred that using the policy paper without making allusion to the relevant section on those qualified for Debarment allowance was a calculated attempt to deliberately scheme some of them out. Therefore, while describing it as “unacceptable” pleaded with President Mohammadu Buhari to act in order to correct the humongous discriminatory practises unknown to the military.

Nationalwire correspondent gathered that the Military Pensions Board (MPB) has already started disbursing payment of the Debarment Allowance on May 20, 2020 to those who had retired from June 2017 and millions of Naira are paid to Warrant Officers and above depending on the rank bracket.

However, a reliable military source disclosed that a retired Warrant Officer received between N1.5m to N1.8m depending on number of years of service. Also, a retired Captain with about 22 years service was said to have had about N2.3 million paid into his account.

It was further learnt that what they are paying to the beneficiaries now is part-payment of their computed Debarment Allowance as a second tranche is expected to be paid by June/July, 2020 depending on release of fund.

It was gathered that only military pensioners who retired from June 2017 and upward are being paid the allowance while the rest, (the older retirees), are left out for no particular reason.

Nationalwire gathered that the Defence Headquarters had in a letter dated 16th April, 2020 and signed by Air Commodore BOC Ifeobu on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, Defence Headquarters directed the Military Pensions Board (MPB) to furnish it with all the names of qualified personnel; their details and contact telephone numbers.

The letter which read in part explained that, “The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) is making arrangements for the payment of security Debarment allowance and other retirement benefits to members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria who separated from service between 9 November 2017 and March 2020.

“As part of the preparations, the DHQ has received relevant data on the affected personnel from the service. However, the account details and contact telephone numbers of the beneficiaries were not provided. Unfortunately, the intention of the DHQ to obtain these information from the affected personnel through a documentation and biometric capturing exercise is no longer feasible due to the current Covid-19 pandemic situation in Nigeria.

“Accordingly, I am directed to forward to military Pension Board (MPB) three compact disks containing the lists of the disengaged personnel. You are requested to update the lists with relevant bank account details and contact telephone numbers of those personnel who are currently in the MPB payroll. This would enable the DHQ to expedite action on the processing of the allowance and benefits.”

However, according to the Manual of Financial Administration for the Armed Forces of Nigeria (2012) clearly stated that every member of the Armed Forces dead or alive is entitled to Debarment allowance. It was unambiguous and there were no discriminatory note attached, it was learnt.

According to page 98 of the manual stated under the sub-heading: Security Debarment Allowances explicitly stated that every retired military man living or dead is entitled to the allowance. “Security Debarment Allowance is an allowance payable by each service to all personnel on retirement from service or death. The essence of this allowance is to debar personnel from employing skills acquired in service against the state after retirement. The amount payable is 10% of annual salary at the time of retirement multiplied by the total number of years of service.”

Investigation further revealed that members of the Armed Forces have not been collecting this allowance as part of their entitlement on retirement. It therefore bemuses understanding why select members of the Armed Forces should be selected and paid while others are left, a veterans stated anonymously.

However, the National Coordinator of  REMENAF, and spokesperson of Coalition of Concerned Veterans (CCV), Comrade Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts told Nationalwire that they were shocked when they saw who were to benefit from the allowance. He observed that what was playing out was in sharp contrast to what the original plan was as signed by the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Petirin, (Rtd), in the Manual of Financial Administration in 2012.

“Our immediate reaction to the “leaked” document was cautious. In fact, we saw it as a long awaited dream come through, even though we were not unaware of the open discrimination that sought to sideline older military retirees from benefiting in the allowance as against the original plan as signed by Air Marshal Petirin, (Rtd) in the manual of financial administration way back in 2013.

“That document placed both “Dead and living soldiers” as potential beneficiaries of the Debarment allowance. What they are doing is like starting the engine of a car and expect that only one, as against the four wheels will make the journey.

On what the umbrella body of REMENAF intend to do with other affliate bodies, Durowaiye-Herberts reiterated that “the position of REMENAF is to bring along, other Veterans body like it has always done in the past. The fight is no longer a lone agitation. Consequently, the Coalition of Concerned Veterans – (CCV), the umbrella body of Veterans pressure groups will be activated to take on the authority by way of seeking an amicable resolution which we hope will end in praises.

In addition, the CCV leaders are meeting online already and a letter from our umbrella body, will reach the Headquarters, Ministry of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, Military Pensions Board and Directorate of Veteran Affairs (MOD) by Wednesday, 27th May, 2020.”

Commenting on REMENAF Facebook platform about their exclusion from the payment, some said the way they are cheated anytime allowances are paid was uncalled for. Most times they averred, their entitlements are not paid in full and those that are lucky to have full payments, there are sundry deductions that are not accounted for by the military authorities.

According to Balogun Hassan Alasan, said “What is the offence of old veterans? Those who were discharged between 2003 to 2005 where kick out by Obasanjo government and paid about N600.000 to N1.3m to Warrant Officers and the balance have not been paid till date after 35 or 36 years in service. Can somebody help the old cargo to ask for their balance. I am sorry if I offended somebody. God bless this great country.”

Also voicing out his frustration, Gbedegbo Haastrup noted that “This segregation is worthy to be challenged.
Debarment meant inconvenience encountered before the payments of our gratuity. Paying some and leaving others is injustice.”

To John Daniel, he saw every design as well orchestrated ploy to further cheat them. “It’s cheating and conspiracy. Most of us that retired between1990 and 2000, our gratuity was not up to N500,000. They cheated us during War time and they still want to cheat us during peace time,” he remonstrated.

However, Col Nass (rtd) expressed disgust over the payment noting that “This is the most provocative and brazen Apartheid policy someone would be bold enough to execute in this age and time.

“We belong to the generation that fought and died in the Civil War to keep this nation what it is today. We belong to the generation that experienced blood and gut in the jungles and swamps of Liberia and Sierra Leone during ECOMOG operations.

“The generation that withstood the harsh conditions of Bakassi Peninsula border conflict with Cameroun. Some of the people now executing this discriminatory policy, shied away from conflict zones in their youthful service years.

“We can vouch that President Muhammadu Buhari cannot tolerate such brazen injustice and cheating. He is a Civil War veteran and we shall get set to do whatever we can, to bring this issue to the front-burner to gain his attention, retired Col Nass reiterated.

Also adding his voice, the Lagos State Coordinator, REMENAF, Comrade Joseph Esho said “if the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is saying only those that retired in 2017 to date that are entitled to debarment allowance, is MOD also saying that only those categories of retirees being paid that were well-trained in United States of America while those left out were poorly trained in Congo and Liberia? He quarried.

However, attempts made to get the reactions of both the Director, Defence Information (DDI), Brig Gen Nwachukwu Onyeama and the spokesperson, Military Pensions Board (MPB), Flight Lieutenant Okorafor on the discriminatory payment failed. A text message sent to both of them through their WhatsApp numbers, were also not responded to over two to three days before publication.

As anxiety grows, it is expected that the ex-servicemen might engage on peaceful demonstration anytime soon to drum sympathy to their plight and also seek the audience of President Buhari whom they felt might not have been told the truth before such payment was approved.

Unequivocally, some are of the view that if the harmonisation of pension allowances approved during the late President Musa Yardua could be left unpaid till late last year and this year during the Covid-19 lockdown before about six and five months were paid respectively out of the 14 months arrears, and about three months still left unpaid, the design to scheme some of them out of debarment allowance was “deliberate and selfish interest.”

It is expected that with the benefit of time, these categories of veterans that put their lives on the line and some died in different combats would be listened to and paid debarment allowance as a mark of their enviable service to their fatherland for the rest of us to have peace.