President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung have faced mounting questions over the welfares of former Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) personnel.
For that, some of the veterans, and disbanded soldiers, have prepared a petition for members of the 55th Legislature to highlight their retirement and other benefits.
The national chairman of the Veterans and Disbanded Soldiers, Captain William Phillip Anderson, has called on the ‘Old Soldiers’ to assemble at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Stadium in Paynesville on Thursday, October 15, to discuss retirement entitlements and other concerns.
The planned gathering could intensify pressure on the Boakai-Koung administration to clarify its position on the veterans’ demands, particularly their request for 36 years of retroactive salary payments.
Anderson has meanwhile, instructed the organization’s spokesperson, Captain Jerry Kerkulah Kollie, to announce the meeting, which is expected to provide members with updates on plans to petition the government through the legislature.
The proposed petition will seek 36 years of retroactive salary payments; a revised salary structure for veteran soldiers, and amendments to the Veterans Act to establish a framework recognizing them as a civilian workforce.
The demands raised difficult questions about government’s approach to the welfare of ‘Old soldiers,’ and whether their concerns will receive a clear and timely response.
For Pres. Boakai, the unfolding dispute presents an important test to handle long-standing welfare concerns. Veterans have meanwhile, prepared to take their case to lawmakers.
