As Biafra war veterans begin collection of pension, they declare ‘one Nigeria forever’

Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of their pension payments, the Association of Retired War Affected Police Officers (ARWAPO) has come out to thank the president, while also expressing their commitment to one indivisible Nigeria.

The President of ARWAPO, Chief Matthew Udeh, thanked Buhari for his forthrightness and belief in one Nigeria.

He said, “We believe we are all one, one Nigeria forever. The war is over and over forever.

“God will continue to bless President Muhammadu Buhari for looking at the nation as one indivisible entity.

“I feel fulfilled today. The whole ARWAPO members are full of gratitude to Mr President for hearing our cry for over 40 years and running,’’ Udeh, who was an Assistant Superintendent of Police before the war, said.

Also, President, Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria, Fidelis Oyakhilome, thanked the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) and the Federal Government for living up to their promises and treating the officers justice.

Read also: 17 years after pardon by Obasanjo, Buhari approves payment of pension to Biafra war veterans

“I must commend ARWAPO members for their patience, endurance and perseverance all these years and as well thank Mr President, President Muhammadu Buhari, for making this possible’,’ Oyakhilome said.

A beneficiary, Francis Ukaraoha, said that he was happy to have received his first pension alert some hours ago. Ukaraoha, who was visibly excited, displayed the amount of pension arrears paid to his account few hours ago to newsmen.

Highlights of the occasion were the tapping on computer to signal the start of the payment as well as a title award given to the Executive Secretary of PTAD, Sharon Ikeazor, for assisting to make the payment possible after 47 years.

Ikeazor got the title, “I di uko n’mba’’ meaning “You are very rare among a people’’.

President Buhari had given approval for the payment of pension entitlements to these officers and their Next of Kins who since May 29, 2000, had received presidential pardon and verification but many of them remained unpaid.

At the launch of the Pension Payments to Retired War-Affected Police Officers in Enugu, Ikeazor said that the Federal Government through the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration would end all the painful legacies of the war.

Ikeazor said that the president was determined to fulfill all Federal Government’s obligation to the South-East in line with available resources.

“This represents another decision by the current Federal Government to bring closure to the painful legacies of the civil war, and indeed a clear demonstrate that President Muhammadu Buhari is indeed a father to all Nigerians.

“His (Mr President) administration’s reforms under the PTAD will ensure that Nigerians who spent the productive years of their lives serving their nation will not experience difficulties in getting their pensions’’, she said.

According to her, the day marked another milestone in reintegrating the formerly neglected officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force who had suffered untold hardship over the years’

“In this particular batch of payment, 162 officers who have never been on the payroll and 57 Next of Kin who have also not been paid their death benefits will be paid today.

“The others, 155 who are on payroll but were being short paid would be paid in the next batch as soon as their pension benefit computation is concluded’’, she said.

 

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