President Goodluck Jonathan
symbolically released the pension
arrears owed 115,000 military
pensioners since 2003 put at N23
billion at the touch of a button
yesterday. He had also directed the
immediate review of the monthly
allowances of all retired military
pensioners in the country and had
given marching orders to both the
Head of Civil Service of the
Federation (HOSF) and the Chairman
of the Military Pensions Board,
Brigadier-General Bitus Kwaji to
work out the modalities for effecting
the increment.
At the brief flag off ceremony,
which took place at the Council
Chambers of the State House,
President Jonathan said since the
pension review was a constitutional
matter, government could not
afford to fail in the implementation
of the exercise and that the flag off
of the payment should put an end
to the “problems of unpaid or
delayed military pensions with the
attendant embarrassment of seeing
retired personnel suffering on our
streets. ”
Responding to a request from the
Military Pensions Board that military
pensions should be up-to-date with
public service salaries as provided in
the constitution, he directed the
board to “contact the Head of the
Civil Service of the Federation so that
the pension needs of the military
can be harmonised with the new
salary of public servants. ”
He added, “the request made by the
chairman of the MPB is obvious. We
will make sure that we keep faith
with that. We must not wait for
people to go on strike before doing
the correct thing. ”
The president said: “We are happy
that those days of pains for our
pensioners are gone that by simply
pressing a button, people are paid. ”
Jonathan, who stated that the
introduction of biometrics and other
fraud preventive features in the
payment in the military pension
scheme would eliminate fraud in the
system, urged the MPB to
constantly monitor the new system
to guide against abuse by
fraudsters.
He noted that it was a great
embarrassment to the nation to see
those who enlisted to serve the
nation with their lives were left to
suffer pains and agony in the past.
Jonathan expressed the hope that
the National Assembly would soon
conclude action on the Pension
Amendment Reform Bill,
acknowledging that the Nigerian
constitution provides that pensions
must be reviewed every five years
or during any salary review.
President Jonathan expressed his
delight at the technology that would
enable all military pensioners to be
paid at the press of a button as well
as the use of biometrics to identify
genuine pensioners, but advised the
Military Pensions Board to diligently
monitor the system to check the
activities of fraudsters.
In his remarks, the Minister of
Defence, Prince Adetokunbo
Kayode, commended President
Jonathan for approving the payment
of the 7-year arrears after less than
two months in office, adding that
the bank accounts of all military
pensioners would be instantly
credited.
He reassured the President of the
total loyalty of the military to the
government, the constitution and in
the defence of democracy in the
country.
Also in his remark, Kwaji, said the
arrears, from 2003, accumulated
due to poor funding, a porous data
base and administrative lapses, but
added that these issues had been
substantially addressed.
He lamented that the exercise had
over the years been fraught with
“ various challenges ranging from
poor funding, porous database and
administrative lapses, ” stressing that
the development had led to “cases
of military retirees and NKOs waiting
under the bridges and on the streets
of major cities across the nation for
periods spanning over five years
after their disengagement from
service or after the death of their
breadwinner before they are paid.”
The MPB boss said the situation
caused “a lot of embarrassment to
successive governments.”
www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/june/23/national-23-06-2010-008.htm

Good

I must tell you guys that Jonathan is truly working. He is not a coward but a real political player and knows what he's doing. I bet Jonathan will contest in the forthcoming elections and will win victoriously. Expect more from Goodluck.

Good development.

Hurray Jonathan has released money for our salary

Also in his remark, Kwaji, said the
arrears, from 2003, accumulated
due to poor funding, a porous data
base and administrative lapses, but
added that these issues had been
substantially addressed.

so what exactly did he do since this was coing up anyway, tehy had problems which tehy were sorting out he just pressed the button like he was menat to wetin be this celebration

A good playa knows when to play and when to stop playing.
Do ya thang GJ