By Politico Staff Writer
The Ministry of Defence has issued a statement confirming a permanent closure to matters pertaining to the benefits of retired Wounded In Action (WIA) personnel of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF).
The release dated 31st August, 2020 observed that the payment of retirement benefits to the said former soldiers has been a long drawn out issue that successive governments have ‘’grappled with over the years’’.
The Ministry of Defence said it has conducted an investigation into the matter and had the various parties such as the Accountant General Department and WIA executives fully involved in the process.
The Ministry disclosed that findings confirmed that all registered WIA personnel met the prescribed requirements ‘’for enhanced disability benefits’’, and that the Accountant General Department through the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) met all its obligations in terms of payment of ‘’enhanced disability benefits including all arrears to all WIA personnel’’.
The Ministry of Defence expressed its gratitude to the WIA personnel for what it described as ‘’their invaluable service to the nation’’.
It would be recalled that WIA personnel staged protests over claims of unpaid retirement benefits due them, following the end of the war and their retirement from the military.
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