Pay us our earned dollar - Blue Helmets

850 Blue Helmets cry to Military High Command

Ghanaian soldiers on peace keeping mission in Lebanon are fuming with rage over the non-payment of their earned dollar, which are monies paid to them at the end of their service.

After a year of service in Lebanon, the soldiers who are due to return home on the 15th June, 2016 say, the military hierarchy has shown little effort in ensuring that they get what is due them.

An email received by DAYBREAK from one of the angry soldiers explained that life in Lebanon is now difficult for them because of the failure by the Military High Command to pay them their earned dollar.

As a result, the email continued that almost of the soldiers have been compelled to buy things on credit from their Lebanese counterparts in order to make ends meet.

They described their ordeal as very pathetic and sad and called on the Military High Command to do everything they can to pay them their monies before they come home on the June 15.

What is further infuriating them is the fact the Military High Command has asked that they submit their list of debtors so they pay them on behalf of the soldiers.

DAYBREAK hereby produce below the emails unedited received on Friday 3rd June, 2016.

“URGENT YOU CAN CALL YOUR BIG MEN WITHIN THE MILITARY AND INFORM THEM OF THIS WRONG DOING ON OUR BEHALF. WE HAVE ALMOST COMPLETE OUR TOUR OF DUTY ALL OF US ARE COMING HOME IN THIS JUNE 2016 THE FIRST CHALK IS COMING HOME ON THE 16TH JUNE 2016 BUT WE HAVE NOT BEEN PAID THE CO TOLD US THAT THE MONEY HAS NOT COME TO HIM FROM GHANA. AND BECAUSE WE ABOUT TO COME HOME AND THERE IS NO MONEY ALL THE SOLDIERS HAS CREDITED THEIR NEEDS FROM THE LEBANES STORE WAITING FOR THEIR MONEY TO GO AND PAY. UNFORTUNATELY FOR US GHANA ARMED FORCES SEND THE MONEY TO THE CO YESTERDAY BUT INSTEAD OF PAYING US OUR MONEY TO GO AND PAY FOR OUR DEBTS RATHER WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO SUBMIT THE NAMES OF THOSE WHOM THE SOLDIERS CREDITED FROM, BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO US. WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEIR GOING TO PAY THE MONEY FOR US, WE NEED OUR MONEY PLEASE THEY SHOULD SEND THEM MESSAGE TO PAY OUT MONEY TO US.”

On Saturday, 4th June 2016, confusion broke up as a result of the decision by the military high command to pay the debtors of the soldiers on their behalf. According to the angry soldiers, they will resist any attempt by command to pay their debtors on their behalf because that will be tantamount to treating them as children.

The email received below was also sent by an anonymous source in Lebanon describing how the soldiers condemned the decision by the commanding officer to pay their debtors.

“CONFUSION OVER THE MONEY THIS MORNING AGAIN. THIS MORNING OC OF THE HEADQUARTERS COMPANY CAPT SANDWO WAS SENT BY THE CO THIS MORNING TO MEET THE SOLDIERS AND TOLD THEM THAT THE MONEY HAS NOT COME TO HIM SO THEY SHOULD SUBMIT THE NAMES OF THE LEBANES THAT THEY CREDITED FROM SO THAT THEY WOULD GO AND PAY ON OUR BEHALF WHEN THE MONEY COMES. THE SOLDIERS BECOME ANNOYED ASKING ALL FORMS OF QUESTIONS THAT THE OC COULD NOT ANSWER AND SHE LEFT, THERE'S TENSION IN THE CAMP BECAUSE SOLDIERS KNOWN THE MONEY IS WITH THE CO.”

Source: DAYBREAK