The Nigerian government is about to withdraw the controversial Veteran Federation of Nigeria Bill due to considerable opposition from military retirees to numerous aspects of the bill.
The pensioners had threatened to stage protests if the administration went ahead and introduced the law in the National Assembly without considering their concerns.
Several controversial provisions, especially those about rank-based appointments, have been questioned from the bill’s inception. It was delivered to the Ministry of Justice and Defence Headquarters.
According to Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, the secretary of the Coalition of Concerned Veterans, who confirmed the planned pullout in an interview with reporters on Friday, the decision was made during a meeting with the Ministry of Defense’s permanent secretary earlier this week.
“Based on our conversation with the Permanent Secretary on Monday, he promised to remove the measure. Members of the National Assembly, employees of the Ministry of Defence, officials from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, and veterans would all be on the newly formed ratification committee,” he said.
One of the committee’s responsibilities, according to Durowaiye-Herberts, is to review and amend controversial parts of the bill, make sure that the veterans’ structure’s leadership positions are democratically elected, and submit the amended bill to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.
“He guaranteed stakeholders that the committee’s work would be finished by the end of the month, even though the permanent secretary informed us that the process might not be finalised before Armed Forces Remembrance Day.
“The committee’s work has garnered cautious hope from veterans, who have emphasised the significance of openness and prompt outcomes. We’re hoping that this approach will resolve our issues and create a system that genuinely serves our interests,” Durowaiye-Herberts added.
A message addressed to Henshaw Ogbuike, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, was not answered, and attempts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful.
