President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reassured retired military officers of due respect and improved welfare.
The president gave the assurance yesterday when he opened the 36th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Retired Army, Navy and Air Force Officers (RANAO) Association of Nigeria.
Tinubu, who was represented by minister of defence, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Badaru, recalled that some members of the association answered the call to duty during the 1967 to 1970 civil war, a period he described as the darkest in Nigeria’s history.
He said measures would be taken to ensure that they live comfortable lives after they sacrificed to defend and keep Nigeria together.
Tinubu said, “You and your generation, the entire members of the RANAO association and the rest of the veteran community answered the call to duty during the darkest period of our nation’s history.
“You paid your dues and you did your duty most diligently and admirably. We salute you all now that you are retired.
“I think it is only natural that we the government and people of our grateful nation spare no effort in ensuring that we accord you the due respect and take measures to ensure that you are reasonably comfortable,” the president said.
He urged the association to provide leadership for the rest of the veteran community since it is made of retired officers from the least to the highest-ranking military officers in the armed forces, saying that they should channel their complaints to him personally through the minister of defence.
Earlier, RANAO national president, Maj -Gen. Abdulhafeez Adewuyi (rtd) acknowledged what he called the profound efforts of the president in addressing on all fronts the political, economic and security challenges confronting the country.
“It is so obvious to all and sundry and even the doubting Thomases that you mean well for Nigeria and Nigerians. It is also glaring that a number of businesses from the private sector are beginning to shore up the economy,” Adewuyi said.
He called on the citizens to be patriotic and focus on doing everything they can to change the country’s situation for better so that most of the problems “we face today will go away or at least be reduced in magnitude”.
“It is sad to note that there are too many Nigerians at the root of our problems. It is a case of one’s enemy being from his household. Our greatest enemies are ourselves,” he said.