Our members are dying of hunger, ex-Civil Defence staff tells Nigerian Government
Segun Showunmi in Ibadan
The Volunteer forum of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Oyo State Chapter on Thursday cried out over what they described as neglect by the Nigerian Government over their welfare
Penpushing reports that, the forum comprising pioneer members staff of the establishment said this, lamenting that their sweats are of beneficiary to younger generation now on the workforce of the institution
The Chairman of the body David Emonovwe said the members are dying of hunger, alleging that the federal government neither retrenched them nor retired them since 2003, adding that over 171 members of the forum across the state are now living in abject poverty.
Penpushing further reports that, Emonovwe said that the House of Representatives had once deliberated on the matter and passed the resolution to the Senate, and the Senate has also passed it to President Muhammadu Buhari for approval but nothing has been done till now.
The Secretary of the forum, Festus Ibigbemi, who spoke on behalf of the affected aged ex service men said Federal Government deliberately chased them away while the government recruited new intakes into the corps in 2003.
“After the new cadets were recruited, we were told to be patient. The government promised absorb into the scheme. They started inviting us for screening from time to time, and after the screening, none of our members was absorbed’, he stated.
“Till now, we were left out, our entitlement has not been paid. We were neither retrenched nor retired. Majority of us cannot write to apply again because of our old age. We have not been paid for the work we have done in our early age.”
Penpushing also reports that, Ibigbemi, speaking on efforts made to reach the government on the issue, said series of letters have been written to the Minister of Interior, Commandant General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the board but none of it was giving a consideration.
The dejected former workers threatened that despite their poor condition, they are now considering to take the matter to the National Industrial Court, having resolved to contribute what they can afford as cash to pursue the issue.
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