by Azubuike Azikiwe

Many retired soldiers are angry with the Federal Government, and they have threatened to carry up arms against the state if their demands are not promptly met.

On Wednesday, over 100 retired soldiers protested around the streets of Benin City, Edo State over the non-payment of the 2010, 53 per cent increase in their pension by the Federal Government.

The group warned that they may be forced to resort to guerilla warfare to show the gravity of their protest.

The protest was led by the National Secretary of Association of Military Pensioners, Patrick Okpaiyo, who bemoaned the neglect of the soldiers by the Federal Government, despite fighting for the survival and unity of the country.

He stated that if the implementation of the consolidated military salary of the ex-service men was not urgently paid, their actions would be worse than that of Boko Haram.

The retired soldiers said, “We are here to call the attention of the Federal Government to our plight. We have been deprived of our rights, we fought the civil war at our youthful age but today, this administration has forgotten us, our people are dying, so we have been pushed to the wall.”

“In 2010, we were given 53 per cent of pension increment and it was not until we protested last year in Abuja that we were given the salary and the arrears have not been paid till date and this year, we are sure that the arrears is budgeted for but we have not been paid and the year is running out. We need the money except they want us to go to the bush and begin a guerilla war but we believe in the Nigeria project but if they push us to the wall, we may have to do that,” they added.

Kolapo Olapoju