By Peter Dansu A retired Nigerian soldier has written a searing open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing his administration of...
By Peter Dansu
A retired Nigerian soldier has written a searing open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing his administration of abandoning the very men who defended the nation with their lives. The letter, penned by Lcpl Abudu Akinlola Olumayowa (Rtd), captures the frustration and emotional breakdown spreading across the veteran community as promises made to them remain unfulfilled.
In the powerful and emotionally raw message, the ex soldier says he writes with a heavy heart, anger, and the pain of countless retired servicemen who feel forgotten and left to struggle alone. He recalls President Tinubu’s public promise in 2023 that veterans would receive palliatives to ease the economic hardship sweeping across the country. That promise, he says, gave many hope in the same way they once held tightly to their rifles in service to the nation.
But nearly two years later, the retired corporal says nothing has been delivered. According to him, the Military Pensions Board, which is the only body legally empowered to manage veteran welfare, never received the promised support. Instead, he alleges that the responsibility was diverted to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the Nigerian Legion, institutions repeatedly accused by veterans of poor management and a lack of transparency.
He questions why the welfare of retired soldiers would be handed over to bodies they no longer trust, raising concerns over the continued influence of individuals they believe contributed to past failures.
The letter paints a grim picture of veterans living on paltry pensions that can no longer sustain them or their families in today’s economic reality. He asks how a retired soldier earning fifty thousand naira can survive when even basic food items have become unaffordable. For wounded and disabled veterans, he says, the situation is even more heartbreaking as many are unable to care for themselves while the relief meant for them remains stuck in bureaucracy and questionable channels.
He laments that veterans have written petitions and reminders, made appeals, protested, and begged for intervention, yet have received no acknowledgment from the Presidency. In his words, the silence from government now feels like a betrayal deeper than any danger they ever faced on the battlefield.
In the letter, he challenges the President on why the federal government shifted veteran welfare away from the Military Pensions Board, why complaints raised against the Legion and other bodies have been ignored, and why those accused of mismanagement continue to receive appointments instead of investigations.
He calls the administration’s handling of veterans a sharp contrast to the promises of renewed hope and compassion. According to him, what has been delivered instead is renewed suffering and cold political distance.
He reminds the President of the sacrifices made by men who defended Nigeria at the cost of their youth, health, families, and futures. Today, he says, many cannot afford medication, food, or school fees for their children. To them, the feeling of abandonment is real and painful.
In closing, he warns that history will judge both the actions and the silence of the current administration. He urges President Tinubu to reroute all welfare support through the Military Pensions Board, audit the institutions currently handling veteran matters, and address the numerous petitions submitted by ex servicemen across the country. What veterans seek, he says, is not charity but justice and the fulfillment of promises made to them.
He ends with a message of resilience, reminding the President that Nigerian veterans may be retired, but they are not invisible, not voiceless, and not ready to be silenced.
The open letter is signed by Lcpl Abudu Akinlola Olumayowa (Rtd), who says he writes on behalf of thousands of veterans who refuse to suffer quietly any longer.
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