By Oluwasore Alabi
It couldn’t have been imagined that a day would come when the Nigerian army would come out to protest against the government. The retired Nigerian army staff came out in protest against the government’s inability to pay their post-retirement pension.
Just a few weeks after the police came out to protest, we are now witnessing a more heartbreaking scene as these former soldiers protest at the Ministry of Finance. These people were soldiers who risked their lives fighting for the safety of the country, and now that they have retired, they are being treated badly. The fact that it is the same issue that both the police and the army are complaining about is really alarming.
During the time of the police’s protest, the government sent another set of policemen to stop the protest. It’s like those sent don’t know that this is possibly how they will be treated in years to come.
These events have come to prove to us that when you are no longer of use to the government, they will abandon you, regardless of the sacrifices and risks taken for the benefit of the country. When the soldiers succeed, the government gets the credit. So why not then appreciate the real doers of the job? Is the government just there to keep a good name? If they are, it is not working because everything has come to light.
Nigerians are complaining about the level of insecurity in the country, and for sure, they won’t blame the underpaid military and paramilitary workforce for the government’s maladministration.
With the way things are going, the number of youths who are not interested in joining the military will keep rising. Not because of the dangers but because of the amount of energy they will put in that will amount to nothing. It is really shameful to see past heroes cry out because of the government’s inability to efficiently manage the country’s affairs. Since making issues known is now a “crime,” then the government is guilty because the issues are very much visible. So, instead of trying to silence the voice of the people, the government should try to make the conditions better.
