Yola: The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has pledged to enhance the welfare of military veterans and engage them for intelligence gathering in the area of security. Oluyede made this commitment shortly after a meeting with retired veterans in the North-East zone on Thursday in Yola. He emphasized the constitutional requirement that any increase in the salary of serving soldiers should have a corresponding effect on the pensions of veterans. “As we are enhancing the welfare of serving soldiers we are also enhancing the welfare of veterans to make their life better,” Oluyede stated.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Oluyede highlighted the importance of involving veterans in intelligence operations due to the security challenges facing the country. “We feel that they are the people that could help us get intelligence from the communities, so that we do our job better,” he remarked. He also mentioned that recent protests by some veterans were influenced by individuals unaware of the efforts being made by the defence headquarters to improve conditions for both serving and retired soldiers.
In response, retired Maj.-Gen. Hussaini Salihu, National President of Retired Army, Navy, and Air Force (RANOA), expressed gratitude to the CDS for his dedication to the veterans’ welfare. Salihu conveyed confidence that the pledges made by the defence chief would be fulfilled. “It’s 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 affirmed. Salihu further clarified that the recent protesters were not registered members of their association.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the veterans convened from the six states in the North-East region for this significant meeting.