President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday announced the approval of N134.7 billion for the payment of Security Debarment Allowance (SDA) to the nation’s veterans.
The President also reassured Nigerians that he would leave the country safer than he met it by the time he leaves office in 2023.
President Buhari said all this during the Emblem Appeal Launch for the 2023 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He announced a donation of N10 million for the appeal fund and urged all Nigerians, including the corporate bodies, to support the nation’s veterans and families of fallen heroes whose sacrifices have kept the country together.
President Buhari spoke before presiding on the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
He pledged the Federal Government’s commitment to the welfare of veterans by ensuring prompt payment of their pension and other entitlements, which had been demonstrated by his approval of the payment of SDA with effect from 2017.
President Buhari hailed the nation’s Armed Forces for making the country a safer place for all citizens and visitors, assuring all of his administration’s continued support and funds to make them perform well.
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“However, in order to capture all veterans hitherto excluded from the payment of the SDA, I have approved a review of the effective date of the Manual of Financial Administration for the Armed Forces of Nigeria (MAFA) 2017.
“Accordingly, I have also approved the sum of N134,749,953,243.69 only for that purpose,” he said.
Reassuring of his commitment to the safety and security of Nigerians before leaving office, President Buhari said: “I would like to reiterate my earlier resolve to hand over a Nigeria, at the end of my tenure, that is free from insecurity to the next generation of leaders.
“With the gallantry and sacrifices exhibited by men and women of our Armed Forces in the campaign against insurgency and other security operations, I’m confident the nation will return to normalcy and we will continue to battle decisively all the security challenges.”
As the Grand Patron of the Nigerian Legion, President Buhari urged all government agencies at the Federal and state levels to continue to patronise the services of the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires to provide security and other administrative services.
The potentials of ex-servicemen are enormous and can be tapped for national development, he said.
The President directed the Defence and Services Headquarters to continue to interface with the veterans on issues bordering on security, intelligence and strategy.
The President recounted that the choice of January 15 as the Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration was symbolic because it marked the end of the Nigerian Civil War.
Defence Minister Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd.) said the ministry would continue to ensure prompt payment of the entitlements and death benefits of deceased servicemen.
Those who pledged to donate to the emblem appeal launch included Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, on behalf of the Armed Forces; Inspector General of Police (IGP) Alkali Baba, on behalf of the intelligence community; and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, on behalf of the Bankers’ Committee.