By Sumaila Ogbaje
The National Chairman, Nigerian Legion, Ms Grace Henry, has appealed to retired military personnel to remain calm and embrace dialogue over their demands for pension adjustments and outstanding entitlements.
Henry made the appeal in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, while commending veterans for their peaceful conduct and decision to call off the planned public protest.
She urged veterans’ associations and members of the Armed Forces veterans’ community to remain patient, saying the Federal Government had assured them that outstanding entitlements and approved pension increases would be paid.
She said the government continued to hold veterans in high esteem and regarded their welfare as a national priority.
“You have sacrificed your youth for the peace of this nation, and that sacrifice is not forgotten.
“The government is working to resolve outstanding administrative processes and ensure that all legitimate entitlements due to veterans are cleared,” she said.
The Legion chairman also said the government was prioritising the healthcare needs of veterans, particularly those who sustained injuries during service.
She said the Ministry of Defence and the Nigerian Legion were pursuing strategic partnerships and international support to improve healthcare services for war-wounded veterans.
Henry said interventions were being developed to provide prosthetic limbs for amputees, hearing aids, corrective eye surgeries, wheelchairs and other mobility aids.
She urged the retirees to remain disciplined, orderly and law-abiding, recalling that such values were part of their military training.
She also warned veterans against allowing their community to be used by elements seeking to cause civil unrest, assuring them that “change and relief are on the way.”
Henry thanked the pensioners for their continued loyalty, dedication and patience, and urged them to sustain their confidence in the ongoing engagement with the government.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Yakubu Uba