Increase in casualty figures among members of the Armed Forces is not the only problem bedevilling the counter-insurgency in the northeast of the country.

The Military Pension Board (MPB) revealed on Wednesday in Abuja that more military personnel are retiring following the crises in the region.

Chairman of the MPB, Commodore Saburi Lawal, disclosed this during the MPB defence of its 2021 budget estimates before the Senate Committee on Defence.

Commodore Lawal revealed that the capital and overhead cost allocations for the MPB has been negligible, adding that the amount allocated has been the same figure in the last three years.

This he said has become a challenge for the board as “what is going on in the North East, there is increased number of casualties. We are now having higher number of our personnel retiring and those with arrears that have been captured on the payroll need to be paid.”

The MPB appealed to the Senate to increase its budgetary allocations to enable it meet payment of benefits of personnel of Nigerian Armed Forces.

He said “We appeal to your committee to favourably consider the 2020 MPB 2021 budget estimates.

“We appeal to your committee to kindly increase the amount recommended by the Budget Office of the Federation for the pension gratuities, death benefits and allied cost to the figures that was proposed by the board.

“We appeal to your committee to kindly increase the military pensions board overhead and capital cost allocations to accommodate the raising inflationary trend in the society and to enhance infrastructure development of the board.

According to him, MPB is charge with the responsibility of administering pensions of military retirees, payment of death benefits to next-of-kins of deceased personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria through funds allocated to it by the National Assembly.

He said the annual budgetary allocations to the MPB are divided into pension, gratuities, death benefits, allied cost, overhead cost and capital expenditure. (Daily Independent)

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