The Senate of Nigeria has expressed its strong disapproval regarding the delays in insurance payments to families of deceased and retired military personnel. During a session on Tuesday, the Senate’s Committee on Code of Conduct, Ethics, and Public Petitions highlighted that 174 families are still awaiting their entitled benefits, deeming the situation “unacceptable.”
In a dramatic development, the committee intervened to prevent the arrest of Master Warrant Officer Rukayat Ajoke Ishola, who had brought her grievances to the Senate regarding the non-payment of her late husband’s insurance benefits. Ishola alleged that after her husband, Warrant Officer Daramola Taiwo, died in April 2016, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) not only withheld her husband’s benefits but also subjected her to mistreatment.
“I was forced and traumatized to go away without leave (AWOL) because my late husband’s insurance benefits were deliberately not paid,” Ishola testified. She further claimed that her child was denied educational support from the NAF, contrasting the treatment received by other children of deceased military personnel.
In response to Ishola’s petition, the NAF was represented by Wing Commander Mohammed Saleh, who defended the delays, stating they were not intentional and affecting multiple families. He refuted Ishola’s claims, asserting, “The petitioner lied in all the allegations… Her child is not entitled to school fees support because her husband did not die in active service.”
The Senate Committee, led by Chair Senator Neda Imasuen, expressed frustration at Saleh’s explanations and condemned the ongoing payment delays. The committee is expected to send a strong letter to Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, urging immediate action.
The committee’s recommendations include ensuring the payment of insurance benefits to Ishola’s family, recognizing her child as a beneficiary for school fees, and facilitating an honorable exit for Ishola from the NAF along with her due retirement benefits.
This incident has drawn attention to the challenges faced by families of military personnel and the need for timely support from military authorities.
