The Senate, through its Committee on Code of Conduct, Ethics and Public Petitions, frowned on Tuesday at the Nigerian military over the delay in payment of insurance benefits to dead and retired personnel.
It specifically declared that it was unacceptable that 174 families are facing the brunt of such delays in the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, alone.
This is even as it prevented NAF officers, led by Wing Commander Mohammed Saleh, from arresting Master Warrant Rukayat Ajoke Ishola, who petitioned the Senate on non-payment of her husband’s insurance benefits and alleged maltreatment by the Air Force authorities since the demise of her husband, Warrant Officer Daramola Taiwo, in April 2016.
The Senate’s displeasure at the delay in payment of insurance benefits by the military to its dead or retired personnel followed the consideration of a petition filed against NAF by Master Warrant Officer Rukayat Ishola.
Ishola, in the petition, alleged that payment of insurance benefits of her late husband was deliberately delayed by NAF and that her child was denied from enjoying payment of school fees like other children of late men and officers of the military.
She added that maltreatment allegedly meted out to her by some officers after the demise of her husband in April 2016 made her abandon her duty post as a way of saving her life.
She said: “I was forced and traumatised to go on absence without leave, AWOL, because my late husband’s insurance benefits were deliberately not paid. My child was denied school fee payment by NAF in line with military tradition and I faced unwarranted persecutions from some officers and life-threatening postings.”
The attempt made by her to tender recorded telephone conversations she had with the alleged officers persecuting her was rebuffed by the committee as it called on NAF representatives to defend the allegations.
Defending the allegations on behalf of NAF, its Director of Legal Services, Wing Commander Mohammed Saleh, said the insurance benefits of late Warrant Officer Daramola Taiwo were not deliberately delayed, as there are about 174 families in the Air Force experiencing such delays in payment.
“I want to inform this committee that the petitioner lied in all the allegations laid as delay in payment of insurance benefits does not affect her late husband alone but about 174 different families.
“Her child is not entitled to enjoy school fee payment by NAF since the husband of the petitioner did not die in active service, just as the allegation made on alleged maltreatment or persecution is unfounded,” he said.
But when asked by the committee, chaired by Senator Neda Imasuen (LP, Edo South), to define what he meant by active service, he said, those who died at the battlefront or field are categorised as dying in active service, while those who died naturally are not considered as such prior to amendment of the regulation in 2021.
Irked by his submission, the chairman and members of the committee descended on the Air Officer by declaring that it was unacceptable for insurance benefits of dead personnel not paid for close to nine years.
Consequently, the committee, as declared by its chairman, told the Air officer that a strong letter would be forwarded to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Hassan Abubakar, “to without further delay, facilitate the payment of insurance benefits of husband of the petitioner, incorporate the child of the deceased as beneficiary of school fee payment by NAF and open window for honourable exit of the petitioner from NAF with attendant retirement benefits.”