By Sumaila Ogbaje
A former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), retired Gen. Lucky Irabor, has advocated for special support for wounded and disabled veterans to boost the morale and effectiveness of personnel.
Irabor made the call on Tuesday in Abuja, while delivering a lecture titled, “Armed Forces Celebration and National Development” at the Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day 2025 Lecture and Art Exhibition.
The event was organised by the Defence Headquarters as part of activities to commemorate the 2025 celebration.
According to him, the plight of servicemen and women wounded or disabled, leaves a heart-breaking tale in the minds of everyone.
“This can indirectly demoralise serving personnel. It can even make veterans go into depression for possible regrets of patriotic services rendered to the nation.
“To redress this, it is suggested that special support can be organised for better care of wounded and disabled active-duty and retired military personnel.
“I am aware of the on-going construction of the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder facility and the Invictus Games project.
“It is very essential that these projects are completed, fully furnished, well-equipped and properly manned, sustained and well publicised for the benefit of the Armed Forces.”
Irabor also called for a comprehensive healthcare programme for veterans, adding that the quality of life of veterans, had continued to depreciate daily when juxtaposed with the inflationary trends.
“Even with prompt payment of monetary entitlements, the value pales when healthcare-related issues are tied to the disposable income of the veteran,” he said.
He added that the current Defence Healthcare Insurance policy for personnel was not comprehensive, as many ailments and medical cases were not covered.
The former defence chief, therefore canvassed for a special-purpose vehicle for comprehensive healthcare for veterans.
According to him, this will be invaluable in addressing the challenge.
He also suggested that a programme of appreciation should be instituted to help develop citizens’ culture of expressing gratitude to service personnel.
He added that prompt payments of entitlements to serving and retired personnel, were critical to the morale and survival of the personnel to avoid ugly sights of veterans’ protest.
He also called for the establishment of affordable housing scheme and foundations for veterans with special needs.
In his closing remarks, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, thanked the former defence and service chiefs for their contributions to the discussion.
Musa promised to ensure effective utilisation of the fund allocated to the military, pledging to work hard to ensure return of peace to all parts of the country.(NAN)
