Security Debarment Allowance: Military veterans to picket Finance Ministry over non payment
By Matthew Denis
The military veterans have concluded arrangement to protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance Budget and National Planning over non payment of their security Debarment Allowance (SDA).
This is contained in a statement signed by Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, Spokesperson for SDA Technical Committee and made available to Nigerian NewsDirect on Tuesday.
The statement read, “Distinguished Comrades and members of the Veterans Community, this is a brief sitrep on the present situation in the struggle for the payments of our SDA. It was just last week that the Technical Committee on the agitation for veterans’ SDA payments, led by our own Air Cdre Femi Oguntuyi rtd mni, directed that we sent out letters to the offices of the HMoF as well as the National Chairman, Nigerian Legion respectively notifying them that if we don’t see any positive moves that our SDA will be paid as initially promised by MOD and MOF before the year ends, we will have no other choice than for us to go to our next options.
“These two letters became very necessary in view of recent developments vis-a-vis the wrong signals we seem to be getting from appropriate authorities who are constitutionally charged to drive the administrative processes that will give life to the Presidential approval of SDA with the view to translating same to monetary benefits to all deserving veterans.
“Having followed the due process of serving notices of a proposed peaceful protest to MoF as well as the Chairman Nigerian Legion, we will, as usual this week, also notify the security agencies, the Police and the DSS as required by law, of our intention to picket the Federal Ministry Of Finance beginning from next Monday, 12th December, 2022 until payment of the first tranche of the SDA is made into our various accounts.
“Arrival date for the protest remains Sunday, 11th December, 2022. The CCV Protocol Officer will be on ground to receive participants. It is however expected that there will be a build up of participating Veterans across the country as the protest last. Canopy and sleeping mats have been arranged for, as well as other logistics. All entrances and exits to the ministry (front and back), will be completely shot down!
“Recall that, it was the same protest warning through letters and our TV appearances that the MoD took for granted that led us to shot down the ministry for 2 days in September this year. MoF is therefore a walk-over since they have also decided not to take our matter serious. Let us all converge en masse and claim our legitimate rights from this administration before it winds down its activities.
“However, if MOF decides to positively respond to our request, we will also accordingly notify the veterans community on the outcome. Though, we are being invited for a dialogue at MoF tomorrow but this should not slowed down our preparations. This is for our information and necessary action.”
