Retired soldiers who fought on the side of the Nigerian government during the brutal civil war which ended exactly 53 years ago will take to the streets from January 15, 2024, in protest over their outstanding allowances.
More than a million people died, mostly of starvation, during a three-year civil war that began in 1967 when south-eastern Nigeria, the homeland of the Igbo ethnic group, attempted to secede from Nigeria under the name Republic of Biafra.
The military pensioners accuse successive governments of neglecting them despite a series of letters sent to the authorities while their co-combatants who fought on the Biafran side never miss a pay an instalment.
The war veterans are now giving the government of President Bola Tinubu a 28-day ultimatum to pay the long-standing debt, warning of nationwide protests on January 15 if their demands are not met.
“We have been pushed to the wall, and we believe this is the only way to get what we deserve,” the group’s statement read, “Our protests will be massive and protracted until we get what rightfully belongs to us.”
Read more: https://punchng.com/civil-war-veterans-to-protest-unpaid-pension-jan-15/
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
