Magashi presents cheques to 184 families of fallen soldiers

Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi, has reiterated the federal government’s commitment to the well-being of the families of men and officers of the armed forces who laid down their lives in defence of the nation.

Gen. Magashi while sympathizing with the families of the fallen heroes noted that “no amount of money can equate the lives of your loved ones.”

He said that the federal government appreciates the contributions of their breadwinners and believes that no amount of succour would be enough to augment the daily requirements of families the soldiers left behind. 

The minister was speaking while presenting cheques to the next-of-kin of 184 officers who died and were sufficiently captured on the 2018/2019 group life assurance programme for the armed forces.

Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, who was represented by Maj. Gen. Abraham Dusu, expressed his gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Defence for working tirelessly to ensure the smooth implementation of the armed forces group life assurance programme.

Earlier, the Director, Human Resource Management of the ministry, Mrs. Olumoko Juwaretu, explained that the group life assurance programme for the armed forces is a welfare package by the federal government to provide succour to the next-of-kin of the country’s fallen heroes.

Mrs. Juwaratu, hoped that the scheme would serve as a morale booster to serving officers and men of the armed forces, with assurances that their families would not be abandoned or forgotten in case of any eventuality.

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She added that “the programme emanated from the Pension Reform Act, 2004 which was initially administered by the office of the head of the civil service of the federation.

“However, with the amendment of the Act in 2011, the scheme excluded the members of the armed forces from the contributory pension scheme necessitating the Federal Ministry of Defence to initiate an alternative for the armed forces.”

The director stated that the 2018/2019 scheme of the programme was managed by Axa Mansard Insurance Plc as the lead underwriter and Magnum Trust Insurance Brokers Limited as lead broker, stressing that having performed satisfactorily, all processed claims under the scheme have been fully settled.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Casmir Ndifon, expressed gratitude to the federal government, President Muhammadu Buhari, the minister of defence, the permanent secretary, the management and staff of the Federal Ministry of Defence, Axa Mansard Insurance Plc and Magnum Trust Brokers Limited for honouring their breadwinners.