Magashi doles out cheques to 184 families of fallen heroes

By Odimmegwa johnpeter, Abuja 

The Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Salihi Magashi, has reiterated the Federal Government commitment to the wellbeing of the families of those men and officers who that laid down their lives in defence of the nation.

Gen. Magashi while sympathizing with the families of the fallen heroes pointed out that, “no amount of money can equate the lives of your love ones; however, Federal Government appreciates the contributions of your breadwinners and believes that no amount of succor would be enough or too small to augment you daily requirements” he said.

The minister was speaking while presenting cheques to the next-of-kins of about one hundred and eighty-four (184) officers who died and were sufficiently captured on the 2018/2019 Group Life Assurance Programme for the Armed Forces.

The Chief of Defence Staff Maj. Gen. Gabriel Abayomi Olonisakin who was represented by Maj. Gen. Abraham Dusu, expressed his gratitude to the Management Team of the Ministry of Defence under the leadership of the Honourable Minister, Maj. Gen Bashir Salihi Magtashi (Rtd.) for working tirelessly to ensure the smooth implementation of the Group Life Assurance Programme for the Armed Forces guaranteeing the provision of succor to the families of Nigeria’s Fallen Heroes

In a welcome address, the Director, Human Resource Management, Mrs. Olumoko Juwaretu, explained that the Group Life Assurance Programme for the Armed Forces of Nigeria is a welfare package by the Federal Government to provide succor to the next-of-kins of Nigerian fallen heroes.

Mrs. Juwaratu, hoped that the scheme would serves as a morale booster to serving officers and men of the Armed Forces, with assurance that their families would not be abandoned or forgotten in case of any eventuality.

Adding 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 (OHCSF), however, with the amended of the Act in 2011, the scheme excluded the members of the Armed Forces from the Contributory Pension Scheme necessitating the Ministry of Defence to initiate an alternative for the Armed Forces.

The Director Human Resources further 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 Ltd as Lead Broker, stressing that having performed satisfactorily, all processed claims under the Scheme have been fully settled.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr. Casmir Ndifon, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government, President Mohammadu Buhari, the Minister of Defence, the Permanent Secretary, the Management and Staff of Ministry of Defence, Axa Mansard Insurance Plc and Magnum Trust Brokers Ltd for the honoring their breadwinner.