38 years after, war heroes beg for entitlements

Thirty-eight years after their disengagement, Nigerian civil war heroes have protested against alleged non-payment of their pensions.

They wondered why they were being subjected to such ill-treatment when their Biafran counterparts had been paid theirs.

In a protest march to the Oyo State Correspondents Chapel in Ibadan, the former war veterans, under the leadership of their national co-ordinator, Sergeant Kasali Busari (rtd), regretted that they were yet to hear from the Federal Government after a series of verification exercises which extended lasted till November 6, 2015 and claimed a number of their colleagues.

The erstwhile soldiers lamented that instead of getting a heroic treatment for their uncommon loyalty and quest for a united Nigeria, they were, however, being subjected to untold hardship.

Commending President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Minister of Defence, Brig. General Dan Alli (rtd), Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin and Chairman of the Military Pension Board, Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Dabo, for helping them this far, they pleaded for prompt settlement of their entitlements.

The then Governor of Eastern Region, the late Lt. Col. Emeka Odumegu Ojukwu, had declared a secession bid for the creation of Biafra Republic resulting in the civil war after the collapse of the Aburi Accrd from July 6, 1967 to January 15, 1970. Alhough the protesters were disengaged in 1978.