By Cletus Asuquo
A Nigerian Army veteran, Corporal Peter Effiong has expressed his disappointment and frustration over the non-payment of his pension after serving the country for 28 years.
Corporal Peter Effiong who retired from the Nigerian Army in 1992, disclosed this on Wednesday, during the Arm Forces Remembrance day celebration, at the millennium Park in Calabar, while filling questions from journalist.
He noted that despite going for several peace keeping operations, and staying in the jungle for 3 years, his retirement benefits were not paid.
“I retired in 1992, I have served in so many cornel, I have even been to the peace keeping force. I am in fact during our retirement and during our services, there was no payment.
“I was in the jungle for three years. I didn’t even receive like five, five thousand naira when we were there. When we came out, they made effort to trying to pay us salary. They did not pay us for over a month, even after my retirement, the pension given to us was not enough for anything.
” We were earning eighty thousand after serving for 28 years. And I so thank God, I don’t live on my own but I live under the grace of God with my family.”-He said
Corporal Peter Effiong said the economic hardship is affecting him badly, especially since he has seven children to care for and has not received his pension.
He added ” I am a family man of seven children plus my wife making eight. For God so loved the world like he said, I thank him for keeping myself and my family alive until today. Like I said, the government are still owing, they should try all their effort to try to settle us.
Things are very hard and we are feeling very very not comfortable is not being regular, its not enough I am 80 years first of these year 1925. 1st January 1925, I was born 1st January 1925. I’m 80 years old.”
Primetime reports that many military veterans have not been paid their pension benefits, following the recent protest of army veterans over non-payment of pension at the defence headquarters in Abuja.
