Nigeria’s Ex-servicemen deserve a better deal -By Anthony Ugwu

The name Major General Muhammadu Buhari needs no introduction to any Nigerian adult. Some remember him through history books as a former Nigerian head of state, others(especially the younger generation) as a regular contender for the office of the president since the advent of this current democratic dispensation. It is common knowledge that Buhari contested for the office of the president against Obasanjo in 2003 and lost. He contested against Yar’Adua in 2007, again he lost. He later contested again in 2011 against Jonathan, and lost the third time. While he is widely seen as having a good track record of integrity and all it takes to salvage Nigeria from the claws of corruption, the retired Kastina born General has always lost out in his political ambitions.

Buhari is highly respected both by friends and foes as an upright man that doesn’t leave beyond his means and eschews corruption. After the military toppled Shehu Shagari’s government, Major General Buhari was called upon to head the government being the most senior military officer as at that time. Apart from serving as a Head of State (though for a short time), Buhari had earlier served as Petroleum minister under General Obasanjo’s government and later as PTF (Petroleum Trust Fund) chairman in General Abacha’s government.

Many observers of the political dynamics of Nigeria have attributed the defeat of General Buhari on the previous elections to mainly lack of funds and financial muscle to match or tackle the incumbent party which they allege have access to funds from wealthy businessmen, contractors that have benefited from the government and even access to the national treasury itself if needs be. Recently, it was widely reported in the media that GMB as he (Buhari) is now referred to had to ‘borrow’ money to buy his APC presidential nomination form. While most media sources claimed that a certain South-South governor funded his elections for the party primaries. Buhari himself even went further to declare recently that the most he has in any of his accounts is less than a million naira. The question now is how is it that a retired Army officer of the rank of Major General can be so broke or should I say so poor that he doesn’t own private jets, private estates, foreign accounts or even a large pool of funds deep enough to enable him run an effective presidential campaign?

Buhari isn’t alone in this. In fact this isn’t even about retired Major General Burahi. It is about the thousands of honest, loyal and disciplined ex-service men and women that gave the best of their youth to the service and protection of their fatherland, only to be faced with the harsh reality and penury of post service life. A large majority of these ex-military personnel have no house they can call their own and live in rented apartments across the country, depending on family and friends and their meager pension.

The truth is that the military was poorly funded during the dark days of military rule. Members of the Nigerian Armed Forces especially the officers and men that served and retired before this democracy of 1999 were poorly paid and poorly taken care of. But they are the real fighters, the real warriors and our real heroes. Many of them joined the military for the love of their country and the love of the job. It is they (this group of brave officers and men) that fought in the bitter civil war and were even later drafted to keep the peace during the bloody Liberian war that later spilled to Sierra-Leone and many of such conflicts. Having lived in the barracks myself, I have seen soldiers live very poor and cheap lives in the barracks. I have seen homes destroyed while fathers were away on tour of duty. I have seen soldier’s wives beg for food while husbands were away on service to fatherland. I have seen soldier’s children kicked out of school (command schools) because their parent couldn’t come up with the school fees.

The salaries of these soldiers were so small that they could barely make any meaningful savings. A painful reality to these is that they can’t go on strike like other employees of government to demand better working conditions neither can they involve in protests or demonstrations as such actions can automatically be seen as ‘mutiny’ or ‘disobedience to direct orders’ and can attract instant court marshal. The worst hit are the non-commissioned officers also referred to as ‘other ranks’. These are the gallant men you see on military patrols. These are the men you see on guard duties and on the front lines. They faced the most risks, they lived on peanuts while in service and were paid peanuts as retirement benefits especially during military governments.

The Armed Forces Remembrance Day (AFRD) had been set aside to remember members of the Army, Navy and Airforce that sacrificed their lives in service to fatherland and to celebrate as well as assist the living veterans. Of recent, the Nigerian Armed Forces Remembrance Day is gradually becoming meaningless. Unlike in the UK where everyone proudly affixes the AFRD emblem on their dresses, in Nigeria it is only a handful of top government officials that buy the emblem in support of the ‘Nigerian Legion’ and retired soldiers. In a country that is as rich and blessed like Nigeria and prides herself as the giant of Africa, it is a shame to see the type of dehumanizing treatment the ex-service men go through in the name of verification.

In conclusion, the problem of poor funding and welfare of our military and veterans in particular isn’t a problem created by the current government, it is a problem that has accumulated over decades and spilled into this current government but which the government is capable of tackling since governance is a continuous process. It isn’t enough to court marshal and sentence to death soldiers that err. It is pertinent that soldiers who served meritoriously and retired without blemish should be well taken care of as this serves as a great motivation to those currently in service. And as the Nation commemorates this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day, the government should henceforth grant free comprehensive medical care to all ex-service men and their spouses as well as pay them all outstanding entitlements owed them as well as increase their pensions in line with current salaries of those in service.

Ex-service men with children in Command (Army), Navy or Airforce schools should be given free primary and secondary school education. Government should build residential estates to be handed directly to ex-service men as their homes or grants should be given to those who choose to build it in their villages other than their current location of residence. It is only by doing this that the lyrics of our national anthem that says; ‘the labor of our heroes past, shall not be in vain’ can truly make any meaning.