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Worried by the continued delay in the settlement of their pension arrears, some ex-service men yesterday appealed to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to intervene on their plight.
The retired servicemen, under the aegis of Retired Army, Navy and Air Force Officers’ Association of Nigeria (RANAO), called for an investigation of the Military Pension Board, which they accused of foul play.
A release signed and made available to The Guardian by National Publicity Officer of the association, Captain Yusuf Abdulmalik (rtd), regretted that despite several appeals and protests by the pensioners, majority of who are in their old ages, demanding the 53.37 per cent increase in wages of the Armed Forces salary structure directed since July, 2010, nothing tangible has been achieved.
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“While the serving officers enjoyed theirs almost immediately, the retired officers were denied the increase for about three years.
“The military pension board ignored the presidential directive for three good years, only to effect the implementation of 33 per cent in August 2013, after we embarked on several protests and agitation, claiming that 20.37 per cent was deduction from military housing scheme and taxation.
“We wrote back that constitutionally, ex-service men do not pay tax and in the case of the housing scheme, we were not aware of any house built on behalf of military pensioners.”
The spokesman appealed to Federal Government to refund the 20.37 per cent deduction with effect from July 2010 and payment of the 33 per cent arrears to enable them make meaningful use of the resources, instead of the quarterly release.
