By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Dr Awwal Abdullahi and Olumayowa Akogun-Abudu |
Tension is brewing among military veterans in Nigeria, following a call by Dr Awwal Abdullahi, General Secretary of the Armed Forces Veteran of Nigeria, to disassociate themselves from a planned nationwide protest, which he tagged hasty, and veterans who plans to register their displeasure unruly. The protest, scheduled for December 3rd or 18th, aims to pressure the government to fulfil its promises of palliative payments and pension increases, which have been promised since last year.
Hon. Abudu-Akogun Olumayowa, a military veteran, has strongly condemned Abdullahi's statement in a video, accusing him of being corrupt and only speaking for himself. Olumayowa claims that the only recognized platform for military veterans is the Military Pension Board, and legion by constitution, despite being a tool of the government to sabotage our rights. And that any other organization is self-imposed and criminal-minded.
The controversy has sparked heated debates among military veterans, with some distancing themselves from Abdullahi's association. Olumayowa has also suggested that Abdullahi and his cohorts are motivated by personal gain, seeking to maintain a lifestyle of poverty and dependence among veterans.
The Nigerian government's failure to fulfil its promises to military veterans has been a longstanding issue, with many veterans facing poverty and hardship despite their service to the nation. The planned protest aims to bring attention to this issue and pressure the government to take action.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the government will respond to the demands of the military veterans. One thing is clear, however: the controversy surrounding Abdullahi's statement has highlighted the deep-seated frustrations and divisions within the military veteran community in Nigeria.
Hon. Abudu-Akogun Olumayowa further accused Dr. Awwal Abdullahi of being corrupt, which is why he could confidently condemn any protest, he disowned his association and claimed never to be a member. He further suggested a brain evaluation for anyone, whom he thinks must be suffering from brain retardation for him to have thought that a protest for progress and improvement in welfare is wrong. He said that Abdullahi only spoke for himself and not the military veteran community.
Olumayowa strongly condemned in clear terms his speech and disowned his association, claiming that the only association recognised by the elite veterans is the military pension board, any other organisation is an association of self-imposed, desperate, criminal-minded people who love or want to be slaves forever, thereby inflicting pain and hardship on others.
In a report made by PUNCH news in 2023, the Ministry of Defence, through its Steering Committee on Social Safety Net, Saturday evening, flagged off enrolment of veterans for palliatives to mitigate the hardship occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.
The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, who was represented by a director in the Joint Service Forces, Ministry of Defence, Dr Jude Alozie, noted “Our veterans deserve the best they can get,” hence, the decision by the defence ministry to extend the gesture to them.
Abubakar said though the gesture was the first of its kind, it would, henceforth, continue.
But until the time this report was made, the veterans have not received the palliatives.