ABUJA – Retired Army, Navy and Air Force Officers’ Association (RANAO), on Monday appealed to Federal Government to pay their outstanding arrears of the 53 per cent increase in pension from 2010.
The President of the association, Lt. Col. Tony Ogbomo, made the plea at the inauguration of the newly elected RANAO executives in Abuja.
He urged the government to harmonise their pension with salaries of their colleagues in service.
The president also called for review of supervising organs for welfare of veterans, explaining that this would help to transform the lives of veterans in the country.
He said the Nigerian Legion Act should be implemented to the letter.
“The Veterans Affairs Department in the ministry of Defence should be reorganised into a more effective and efficient welfare-oriented establishment to be headed by a retired military officer.
“ The department should also be manned by military retirees and discharged personnel.
“The Military Pensions Board should be restructured to allow for a mixture of both active and retired personnel in its employment to ensure check and balance and flow of information’’, he said.
Ogbomo said veterans’ organisations should be brought under one umbrella body – the Nigerian Veterans Federation or Veterans Federation of Nigeria.
He appealed to all to support RANAO to ensure that “the labours of heroes past shall never be in vain.’’
“Please join us to sustain our meritorious retirement, ‘’ Ogbomo added
The outgoing president of the association, Maj.-Gen Rabiu Alliu, urged members to work with the new executive to move it forward
The new executive committee was elected on May 22, in Kaduna during the association’s 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Members of the committee include: Maj.-Gen Alexander Mshebwala), National Vice President; Lt. Col. Ralph Ugwo, Secretary-General and Brig.-Gen. James Adejo, Treasurer. (NAN)
