Ex-servicemen welfare: Nigerian Legion Act to be reviewed – Dan-Ali

The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, said on Friday that a bill for the review of the Nigerian Legion Act had been forwarded to the National Assembly.

Dan-Ali said the bill had provision for the instituionalisation of welfare needs of the veterans in line with international best practices, but did not provide details.

The minister spoke at a news conference to unveil activities to mark the 2019 “Armed Forces Remembrance Day.’’

He said the payment of pensions to the retirees which he described as the “root of catering’’ for their welfare was being done regularly.

The minsiter, however, said that periodic verification of veterans would be carried out by the Military Pension Board (MPB) to reduce sharp practices to the barest minimum.

He also said that already 400 motorcycles were distributed to ex-servicemen in Jos in July.

He said this followed an endorsement he made in 2016 for a collaboration between the Nigrian legion and a private sector driven “National Personal Asset Acquisition Scheme (NAPAAS).

Dan-Ali said another 2,000 motorcycles and 10,000 bags of rice would be distributed to ex-servicemen in Abuja, this month, under the scheme.

He explained that the scheme was to afford the legionaires the ability to buy both household and agricultural commodities at affordable, discounted prices within a `flexible and structured repayment across the country.’’

On the activities lined up to mark the day in 2019, the minister said that President Muhammadu Buhari would launch the Remembrance Emblem on Oct. 31.

The armed forces remembrance day is marked on every Jan. 15 in the country.

It is a global event which Commonwealth countries celebrate on Nov. 11 annually but was changed to Jan.15 in Nigeria, in remembrance of the end of the civil war in 1970.

The minister noted that the nation had been threatened by diverse internal security challenges which necessitated the dafting of the armed forces to restore nomalcy.

According to him, the peak of the challenges is the non-conventional warfare waged on the North-East by the Boko Haram terrorists.

He said that while the fallen heroes should be remembered for their sacrifices, there was need to provide for their dependants.

The minister also stressed the need to appreciate both retired and serving personnel for sacrifices they had made and still making to keep the nation together.