Editorial: Sorry State Of Nigeria's Military Veterans

 

The yearly Armed Forces Remembrance  ritual done with pomp in Nigeria every January 15 does not capture the pitiful state of Nigerian military veterans in anyway.

If anything at all it has been an occasion for politicians to show off the lofty offices they occupy across the nation. Some of them do not even understand the sombre attitude they should put up and the event. They don't know that what is been recalled is the sorrow, pain and death of Nigerians who for whatever reasons decided  to be the ones that will lay down their lives to protect the sovereignty of country and equally ward-off any dastardly move to cause insecurity within the nation.

We, at The Eyes Portal Newspapers have witnessed with disgust how some government officials stroll majestically to the cheers of their larky, bootlicking supporters on their way to lay the wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. We are of the view that this must stop forthwith. Politicians should be told in no uncertain terms  that the wreath laying ceremony is not one of their many organized jamborees targeted at weighing their assumed  popularity. It is a time to be sobre and pray for gallant men and women who died for the rest of us to stay alive.

This said, The Eyes Portal Newspapers is pained by the quality of life either the Next of Kin or retired soldiers live after many years of travelling this road of possible death or other forms of afflictions like losing vital body parts.

Atimes, it is important to ponder and wonder if a decision to go to the military as an other rank is a crime. This is owing to the quality of life they live eventually. The other ranks( from private soldier to WO2) in our view deserve better deals from the system.

So, as Nigerians commemorated the Armed Forces Remembrance Day ritual yesterday, have federal, states and local government officials considered the way retired other rank soldiers live in pains and penury, that is for those who have been fortunate to return to their families alive and well after serving out their service years.

There are yet those who are retired prematurely because they were injured in the war front or line of duty and could no longer be very effective soldiers. Their tales are never soothing ones. They complain of the amount they are given to go home and then upon return they may not even be able to find something to do.So, they just live with the fate that drives them to despondency.

The most sorrowful cases are those who die in the frontline defending Nigeria. For the most part, this is where every personal dream ends. In most cases, at this point, they have no savings or even a home for their family. And now they are dead and gone forever with the possibility of leaving behind a young widow and children.

While we thank the military authorities for some of the policies that ensures Next of Kin get death benefits in monetary form,it is possible that lack of skills make them fritter away this money and then the family is back to square one in the poverty indices. The children are likely to end up with no more than basic education

The families of these soldiers who paid the supreme price for the unity and cohesion of country as well as warding off external aggressors end up in what can only be best described as a curse.

Many of the families of the deceased soldiers like those that make it to retirement have been largely itinerant, moving from one station to another on transfer across the country, earning meagre salaries which would have made it impossible for them to own houses

The Eyes Portal Newspapers is saddened that many soldiers retire and are so broke, lacking homes, ability to pay their  medical bill and if they still have children of school age, it will be a pipe dream to think that the children could go beyond basic school

This challenges are what the government should tackle. We, in The Eyes Portal Newspapers recommend that states and local governments should partner with the federal government and consider the possibility of each state building homes for indigenous retiring veterans, so that upon returning home they could be handed the keys of the home in their local government or village as the case may be. People who put their lives on the line for others to stay alive deserve this honour and more. This will in no small way change the current situation where retired soldiers and Next of Kin of deceased ones are rendered homeless upon retirement

Also, a scholarship fund should be established for children of serving and retired other ranks military personnel and the Next of Kin of the deceased ones,so that their children could  be well educated

Finally, The Eyes Portal Newspapers recommends a health insurance scheme for Next of Kin and retired other rank soldiers, so that they can have access to medical facilities upon retirement

A better way to commemorate the Armed Forces Remembrance Day is for the government to take actions to better the lot of the retired soldiers and families of the deceased soldiers.