Yar’Adua: House Commends Armed Forces
From Onwuka Nzeshi in Abuja THISDAY | Feb.16.2010

House of Representatives Committee on Defence yesterday commended the Nigeria Armed Forces for its loyalty and support towards the sustenance of democracy in the country throughout the recent power vacuum saga and constitutional crisis arising from President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua's prolonged absence from the country.

Chairman of the Committee on Defence, Hon. Oluwole Oke (PDP Osun), who gave the commendation in a chat with newsmen disclosed that the leadership of the Armed Forces had at various fora demonstrated loyalty, professionalism, discipline and resilience, adding that this has shown that the military has become one of the pillars upon which Nigerian democracy rests.

Oke said the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Paul Dike, and the other service chiefs did not only ensure that the rank and file shunned the temptation of interfering in the politics as in the previous era but has also visited the Acting President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, to pay homage and pledge their continued loyalty to constitutionality.

He disclosed that the House Committee on Defence has perfected plans to float a Bill to amend the Pension Act of 2004 and make provision for the exit of armed forces personnel from the National Pension Scheme. The Bill, Oke said, will exempt soldiers from paying the compulsory monthly contribution to the pension scheme administered by the Nigeria Pension Commission (PENCOM) while still providing for pension benefits for Armed Forces personnel on retirement from service.
The Bill, he said, had become necessary because of the critical nature of the work of the Armed Forces especially the task of laying down their lives in defence of the country’s territorial integrity.

Oke said Argentina and Chile, two Latin American countries from where Nigeria borrowed the concept of contributory pension have already exited their armed forces from the scheme in appreciation of their role in national security.
He also disclosed that the Defence Committee will soon come up with another bill that will take care of the housing needs of the military personnel to ensure that soldiers do not retire into homelessness any longer.

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