President has approved payment of pension to all retired Biafra Soldiers

Breaking: Buhari approves payment of pension to retired Biafra police personal.

By  Anthony Ogbonna President Muhammadu Buhari, Wednesday, approved the payment of pension for police officers who were granted presidential pardon in 200 after serving 30 months Nigeria Civil war.

The personnel who were granted presidential pardoned by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo have till now not received their pension. However, a statement released by the pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) on Wednesday said President Buhari had approved the payment of pension for the personnel. It said a total of 162 officers will be patrolled while 57 Nest of Kin who have also not been paid their death benefit will be paid in the first baich.

It said the first of the payment will commence in Enugu on Friday the 20th of October, 2017. According to the statement, "The general public would recall that Nigeria witnessed an ugly civil war between July, 1967 and January, 1970 and as a result of that unfortunate period in our history, some members of the armed Forces, the Nigeria police and the paramilitary Officers who took part with the secessionist  were dismissed from the service. " The dismissal of those officers was commuted to retirement in yeas 2000 through a Presidential Amnesty granted on 29th May,  2000 by the Administration of the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR. A verification exercise was conducted for the pardony officers by the defunct Police pension Office and recently PTAD on one hand and the Police service Commission on the  other. "despite the presidential pardon and verification of these officers , many of them remained unpaid years after the pardon. " However, the present administration under the  able leadership of President, C-in-C GCFR, had  graciously given approval for the payment of pension entitlements to these officers and their Nest of Kin. " PTAD is commencing the payment of pension benefit to the retired war affected police officers on Friday 20th  October, 2017 in Enugu. "162 officers will be payrolled and 57 Nest of Kin who have also not been paid their death benefits will be paid in the first batch.