Retired military men in Adamawa State on Monday bemoaned their difficult living circumstances and asked the Federal Government to establish a bank which will give them soft loans to meet their needs.
The state chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Warrant Officer Ali Mohammed (rtd), who spoke for the veterans in Yola, said they need such a specialised institution as the conventional banks would not help them.
The state Legion leader spoke to newsmen on the sidelines of the 2024 Nigerian Armed Forces Remembrance Day.
According to him, what retired military men get from the Federal Government in form of retirement benefits and pension is grossly inadequate.
He said, “We retirees are suffering. We used our youthful years to save this country only to leave service and not have even shelter over our heads due to poor welfare and poor implementation of our gratuity. How many of us can sponsor our children to university level?
“How many of us own our houses as compared to our counterparts from the civil service? Many of us end up as domestic security guards. We are people who used rifles in defending this country but now carry sticks as private security guards paid N15,000 to N20,000 monthly. Is that a good thing to become?”
To uplift their lifestyle, he asked that a special scheme be created for their peculiar circumstances.
He said, “One thing that is very important is this: the Federal Government should establish a financial institution in the 36 states to assist the veterans, so that when they are in need, such as school fees for their children, they can dash down to the institution and obtain loan on the strength of their pension as collateral.”
He said such an arrangement is vital, explaining, “Today, if we go to any of these banks to ask for loan, their response is, ‘Look at this poor man.’ That’s how bad our situation is.”
During the Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration at the Ahmadu Ribadu Square in Yola, the state Deputy Governor, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta who represented Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, appealed to all Nigerians to be their brothers keepers with particular reference to retired military men and their families.
“These people fought battles for our collective sake and we as a government do not take that for granted. I appeal to us as individuals that we look out for them or their families in our neighborhoods and help them in the ways that we can,” she said.
