By Abigail Philip David
Retired military personnel disrupted operations at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Thursday, protesting against unpaid entitlements.
The demonstrators, who brought mats, chairs, and canopies to the protest site, accused the Federal Government of failing to honor a 20% to 28% salary increase promised from January to November 2024. They also demanded outstanding payments for palliatives from October 2023 to November 2024, an additional N32,000 to their pensions, the bulk payment of the Security Debarment Allowance, and the refund of deductions from the pensions of medically discharged soldiers.
Leader Highlights Hardship
Col. Innocent Azubuike (retd.), a leader of the group, decried the financial hardship faced by military pensioners due to the delayed payments. He noted that despite previous assurances, the retirees were informed that the payments could not be made due to a lack of cash backing.
“We were told approval has been secured for the payment of our entitlements. The only thing remaining is cash backing,” Azubuike explained.
He added, “We were assured that our long-unpaid entitlements would be cleared in November. However, November has passed, and there’s no indication of when this will happen. The issue lies with the Federal Ministry of Finance, not the Ministry of Defence.”
The protest reflects the growing frustration among military retirees over delays in addressing their financial grievances.
