COAS Pledges Better Welfare for Army Veterans
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, has assured veterans of the Nigerian Army that he will continue to prioritise their welfare, saying that this had been topmost in his mind since assumption of office.
General Lagbaja gave the assurance on Tuesday in Ibadan, Oyo State, at a programme for Army veterans held at International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, as part of the Nigerian Army Day celebration.
The COAS, who was represented by represented by Major General Lawrence Fejokwu as a special guest, said that the programme was in honour of the Nigerian Army veterans within Ibadan City and its environs.
General Lagbaja enjoined them to be good citizens and see themselves as part and parcel of the armed forces.
He also urged the veterans to continue to play good roles by reporting actionable intelligence to military units and formations closest to them.
This, General Lagbaja added that would help in curbing violent crimes and insurgency.
“They have served in the military and know the appropriate channels to go through,” the Army Chief said.
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Speaking at the celebration, the National Chairman of the Nigerian Legion, Major General Abdulmalik Jibril (retd), expressed appreciation to General Lagbaja on behalf of the veterans for the recognition he gave them by carrying them along in the 2023 Army Day celebration.
According to him, “this particular event, ‘Happy Hour,’ is the first of its kind. It is a well thought out event, creating avenue to bridge the gap between the serving and retired ones.”
He said that before now, retirees were considered as ‘dead’ people and not taken into consideration whenever things were being done.
“But in recent times, you can see that veterans are taken along and involved in so many activities,” Major General Jibril said.
He commended the Army leadership, urging other services to emulate the good example of the Nigerian Army by periodically organising events that would bring the retired officers together with the serving ones, saying that the latter would also join the former later in life.
In his own remarks, the Director of Veteran Affairs, Major General Albert Lebo, disclosed that the Department of Vetern Affairs of the Nigerian Army had been doing its best by interfacing with relevant ministry to ensure that issues of Army veterans are adequately addressed.
Lebo assured the Army veterans that things would soon be better for the veterans in the current administration.
Highlights of the celebration included cultural display, dancing time for the veterans and presentation of gifts to them.
