The Arewa Youth Assembly for Good Leadership (AYAGL), has commended the leadership of the Military Pensions Board (MPB) over ongoing reforms it said were being introduced, to better the lot of military retirees.
Accordingly, the group has withdrawn its earlier allegations against the Air Vice Marshal Mikail Abdulraheem-led Board, saying they were based on verifiable evidence.
A statement signed on Thursday by AYAGL President, Abdul Danbature, reads: “The Arewa Youth Assembly for Good Leadership wishes to address recent developments and earlier statements made by our organisation concerning the leadership of the Nigerian Military Pensions Board.
“Following extensive consultations, fact-finding engagements, and independent inquiries, we have come to the conclusion that our earlier criticism of the leadership of Air Vice Marshal Mikail Abdulraheem was not based on sufficient verification of facts.
“For this reason, the Arewa Youth Assembly for Good Leadership hereby formally withdraws our previous statements and offers our sincere clarification to the Nigerian public.
“During our engagements and review of developments at the Board, we discovered significant reforms and administrative improvements introduced under the current leadership of Air Vice Marshal Mikail Abdulraheem.
“These include measures aimed at strengthening transparency, improving pension administration processes, and enhancing the welfare and dignity of retired military personnel who have served our country with honour.”
The Assembly added thus: “We therefore state clearly that Air Vice Marshal Mikail Abdulraheem has demonstrated leadership and commitment in the ongoing reforms at the Military Pensions Board, and we believe such efforts deserve recognition and encouragement rather than unnecessary attacks or misinformation.
“Our investigation also revealed that the controversy surrounding the purported appointment being circulated in the name of Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Idris Adamu has generated confusion in the public domain.
Based on the information available to us from our consultations, we understand that the matter requires proper clarification by the relevant authorities.
“In this regard, we respectfully call on Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and appropriate security agencies to thoroughly investigate the claims surrounding the alleged appointment and any attempts to misrepresent official government decisions, in order to protect the integrity of public institutions and prevent the spread of misinformation.”
