More than 5,000 registered legionnaires in Rivers State have appealed to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the 23 local government chairmen to redeem outstanding commitments made to them during the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day Emblem Appeal Week.
The retired soldiers said the delay, about eight months after the January 15 ceremony at Isaac Boro Park, Port Harcourt, had begun to undermine their welfare programmes and affect support for their families and dependants.
Governor Fubara, who served as Special Guest of Honour at the event, pledged N100 million to the Emblem Appeal programme and promised the construction of a modern secretariat for the legionnaires within the premises of Isaac Boro Park.
The governor also promised to create 50 employment opportunities in the state civil service for children of the retired soldiers.
The employment slots were expected to be distributed across the 23 local government areas, with each council allocated two positions.
Similarly, the 23 local government chairmen collectively pledged N37.5 million towards the 2026 Emblem Appeal Week organised by the Rivers State chapter of the Nigerian Legionnaires Association.
Investigations by The Southern Examiner further revealed that Governor Fubara had pledged N40 million to the legionnaires during the previous year’s Emblem Appeal Week.
While the state government has reportedly redeemed its N140 million financial commitments for the 2025 and 2026 programmes, work has yet to commence on the proposed legionnaires’ secretariat.
The publication also reported that pledges made by the 23 local government councils over the two-year period, amounting to N57.5 million, remained outstanding.
The retired soldiers expressed particular concern over the unfulfilled employment promise and the outstanding council contributions, saying the situation had affected their ability to provide assistance to their children and families.
Sources said some of the beneficiaries selected for the promised civil service positions had become increasingly disillusioned and were putting pressure on their parents for updates on the jobs they had been promised.
The financial constraints have also reportedly affected welfare initiatives operated by the Legionnaires Association for members and their dependants.
Among the programmes said to have been affected are scholarship schemes and other forms of financial and material assistance provided to legionnaires, their spouses and children.
The retired soldiers said they had sent several reminder letters to the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr Dagogo S. A. Wokoma, detailing the outstanding commitments and seeking intervention.
However, according to legionnaires who spoke to The Southern Examiner, the letters had not received a response.
Attempts by the publication to contact the SSG by telephone were reportedly unsuccessful, as calls to his known contacts were not answered.
The legionnaires said the process of receiving donations had historically been more straightforward before the political crisis between Governor Fubara and his former political ally, Chief Nyesom Wike.
According to them, contributions to the Emblem Appeal Week were previously deducted at source and transferred to the association’s accounts.
They said difficulties in accessing pledged funds, particularly those made by local government councils, increased following the political crisis, which disrupted aspects of governance and financial administration across the state.
The political dispute, which attracted national attention and eventually prompted federal intervention, affected relations among the executive, legislature and local government authorities in Rivers State.
The legionnaires fear that the consequences of the political crisis may have spilled over into a welfare initiative intended to support retired military personnel who served the country.
However, a legionnaire who spoke anonymously sought to allay concerns over the outstanding commitments.
“There is no cause for alarm. We are resolving all outstanding matters accordingly,” he said.
For the retired soldiers, however, the issue has moved beyond ceremonial occasions and public pronouncements.
They say the outstanding commitments have direct consequences for children waiting for promised employment, students relying on scholarships, families depending on welfare assistance and retired servicemen who expect public pledges made in their honour to be fulfilled.
The legionnaires are therefore calling for the outstanding commitments to be addressed, insisting that the welfare of those who served the country in uniform should not be caught up in political or administrative disputes.
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