By Umar Dankano Yola.
The Nigeria Army has expressed its zeal to engage the services of its veteran or retired personnel in area of intelligence gathering with a view to improving the security and well being of citizens in the country.
Chief of Defence Staff(COS) General Olufemi Oluyede have the commitment in Yola on Thursday after a scheduled meeting with the retired military veterans pledging to also enhance the welfare of veteran armed forces in Nigeria.
General Oluyede disclosed that,there is an increment for the serving military personnel’s salary and wages which attracts consequential effect on the pension of our cherished and respected veterans as spelt out in the constitution.
“As we are enhancing the welfare of serving soldiers we are also enhancing the welfare of veterans to make their life better”, he said.
Oluyede also said that its important to engage the veterans for better intelligence going by the security challenge in the country.
“We feel that they are the people that could help us get information of intelligence from the communities so that we do our job better”, said.
According to him, those who protested recently were misled by some elements that does not know what the defence headquarters are doing to enhance both serving and retired soldiers.
In his remarks, Maj. Gen. Hussaini Salihu retired, National President for Retired Army, Navy and Air Force (RANOA) applauded the Chief of Defence for his commitment to welfare of veterans in the country.
Salihu emphasized that, they were promised basic palliative to better the life of members explaining that based on report at his disposal, those who protested recently were not registered members of their Union.
He expressed confidence that the promises would be delivered “is just a matter of time to put the things on the dot, he told us what he is doing and what the Federal government is doing”, he said.
It could recalled that some aggrieved retired veterans attempted to protest at the Defense headquarters in Abuja to press home their demand of increase pension but were blocked by teams of soldiers and sister security agencies.