The new Chairman of the Military Pensions Board, Major General Julius Osifo, has pledged to eliminate unnecessary delays and bureaucratic bottlenecks in the payment of pensions, gratuities, death benefits and other entitlements to retired military personnel and families of fallen soldiers.
Osifo gave the assurance on Wednesday during the handover ceremony at the board’s headquarters in Abuja, following the completion of the tenure of his predecessor, Air Vice Marshal Mikhail Abdulraheem.
He said his administration would prioritise the welfare of military veterans and families of personnel who died in the line of duty by ensuring that legitimate beneficiaries received their entitlements promptly and through a less cumbersome process.
“My mission statement will be anchored on leading a Board that will prioritise all ways and means to ensure payments are prompt, accessed with seamless ease, less cumbersome, less bureaucratic, but with an overriding commitment to ensuring only the rightful recipients get their due entitlements,” he said.
The new chairman warned that delays in paying death benefits to families of soldiers killed in action could undermine the sacrifices of fallen personnel and negatively affect the morale of troops still engaged in military operations.
Drawing on his experience in Operation Hadin Kai, the military campaign against insurgency in the North-East, Osifo stressed the importance of efficient pension administration in sustaining the confidence of serving personnel and honouring fallen heroes.
“From my personal experience in OPHK, I can tell you outright that inefficient administration leading to default in payments of benefits to NOK of KIA not only diminishes the sacrifices of our gallant soldiers, but also dishonours the memory of those killed in action and demoralises the fighting spirit of those in combat,” he said.
He noted that the commitment to prompt payment would also cover personnel who had retired or been discharged from the Armed Forces of Nigeria after completing their service.
Osifo, who became the 26th chairman of the board, said he would build on the achievements of previous administrations while introducing technology-driven solutions to improve pension administration and accelerate the processing of claims.
He explained that the board would strengthen its collaboration with the military services and other relevant institutions to identify beneficiaries early, process their entitlements efficiently and minimise delays.
“The implementation strategies for the attainment of this mission statement include leveraging smart systems of contemporary technology, effective liaison with the Services for proactive identification of beneficiaries, prompt processing of benefits and enhanced capacity building of MPB personnel,” he stated.
The chairman also pledged to improve the professional capacity and motivation of the board’s workforce, noting that personnel development was essential to delivering efficient services to military pensioners and their families.
He said his ultimate objective was to reposition the institution as a technically competent organisation capable of ensuring reliable and timely payment of benefits.
“My desired end state is to reposition the MPB to be technically proficient towards the optimisation of my vision of prompt and seamless payments to veterans and families of fallen heroes,” Osifo added.
The new chairman assumed office following the conclusion of Abdulraheem’s tenure.
In his valedictory remarks, the outgoing chairman expressed appreciation to the officers, soldiers and civilian employees of the board for their cooperation and support during his leadership.
He urged them to extend the same commitment to his successor, stressing that the board’s responsibility to military pensioners and their next of kin required unity, teamwork and a shared sense of purpose.
“The mandate of this Board is bigger than any individual and its success depends on our ability to remain united and focused on the welfare of our military pensioners and their Next-of-Kin,” Abdulraheem said.
He expressed confidence in Osifo’s leadership and wished him success in his new assignment.
