The Senate through its Committee on Code of Conduct, Ethics and Public Petitions on Tuesday frowned at the inability of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF to pay insurance benefits to 174 families of deceased personnel.
The Committee also described as “unacceptable,” disclosures by the Airforce that the death benefit of an officer have not been calculated and paid 10 years after.
This followed the consideration of a petition filed against the Nigerian Air Force by a Warrant Officer Rukayat Ishola.
Rukayat Ishola in a petition to the Senate alleged that payment of Insurance benefits of her late husband has been delayed by NAF and that her child was denied from enjoying payment of school fees by NAF like other children of late men and officers of military.
She added that maltreatment allegedly meted to her by some officers after the demise of her husband in April 2016, made her to abandon her duty post as a way of saving her life.
Defending the allegations on behalf of NAF, Director of Legal Services , Wing Commander Mohammed Saleh said the insurance benefit of late Warrant Officer Daramola Taiwo was not deliberately delayed as there are about 174 families in the Air Force experiencing such delays in payment .
He however added that the child is not entitled to enjoy school fees payment by NAF since the husband of the petitioner did not die in active service.
When asked by the Committee chaired by Senator Neda Imasuen to define what he meant by active service, he said those who died at the battle front or field are categorised as dying in active service while those who died naturally are not considered as such prior to amendment of the regulation in 2021.
The Committee resolved to write a letter to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Hassan Abubakar to without further delay, facilitate payment of insurance benefits of husband of the petitioner. They lawmakers will also ask for incorporation of the child of the deceased as beneficiary of school fees payment by NAF and to open a window for honourable exit of the petitioner from NAF with attendant retirement benefits.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
