The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, announced that the Federal Government has given the green light to allocate N134,749,953,243.69 for security debarment allowance for military veterans.
He mentioned that the approval illustrated the government’s dedication to veterans’ well-being, noting that the phased rollout of the Security Debarment Allowance, which had previously excluded veterans, began in January 2023.
Badaru made this statement during the ministerial briefing for the 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration on Friday.
He said,
- “To demonstrate our commitment to veterans’ welfare the FG has approved the sum of N134,749,953,243.69 for security debarment allowance. By this, all veterans who retired/discharged honourably from the services of the Armed Forces of Nigeria will reap this benefit. Our service personnel and veterans deserve the best, and the best they will get.”
Tackling Insecurities
Moreover, the Minister of Defence also remarked that the federal government has promised to equip the armed forces in the country to tackle insecurity.
According to him, the mounting insecurity in the country can be curtailed if the necessary hardware is provided to the military.
He also noted that this equipment and training will reduce the number of casualties recorded among the Nigerian army on the battlefield with terrorists and armed bandits.
He stated,
- “The successes recorded by our armed forces have only served as encouragement to persevere until victory is finally assured and all our displaced citizens return home. We, therefore, look forward to adopting a proactive approach to combating our security challenges by harnessing our intelligence resources and having strong partnerships with our West African neighbours.
- “The Federal Government will also continue to equip the armed forces with combat capabilities, training and equipment to reduce to the barest minimum casualties due to operations. We are indeed hopeful that the pledge and focus of Mr President to bring an end to all security challenges quickly will be realized.”
More Insights
Furthermore, Badaru lauded the effort of the military so far in their effort to curtail security challenges in the country.
He explained that the Nigerian troops are making the ultimate sacrifice in protecting the lives and properties of the citizens of the country.
- “The Armed Forces of Nigeria has risen to these challenges, not counting the costs in terms of ultimate sacrifice being paid by our troops. For this reason, I can say the situation is gradually improving considering where we were before now” he added.
