Buhari Okay Pension For Biafran Police Personnels

  

The Federal Government says it will commence the payment of pension benefits to retired war-affected police officers and their next-of-kin.

The News Agency of Nigeria, which reported that this was contained in a statement by the management of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate in Abuja on Wednesday, indicated that President Muhammadu Buhari had given approval for the payment of pension entitlements to the affected officers and their next-of -kin.

Some members of the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force and some paramilitary officers that took part with the secessionist group in the 1967 Civil War were earlier dismissed from the service after the war.

The dismissal of the officers was later converted to retirement in 2000 through a presidential amnesty granted on May 29, 2,000 by the administration of  ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Verification was conducted for the pardoned officers by the defunct police pension office, PTAD and the Police Service Commission.

In spite of the presidential pardon and verification of the officers, many of them remained unpaid years after the pardon.

But according to the statement, PTAD is to begin the payment of  the benefits to retired war affected police officers on Friday in Enugu.

It said the first batch of payment would also involve the pay rolling of  162 affected officers and 57 next -of- kin that had yet to be paid the death benefits of their deceased persons.

-Punch