By Attah Ede
Retirees of the Nigerian military on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest and shutdown the Federal Ministry of finance office in Abuja to demand for the full payment of their long-overdue entitlements.
The aggrieved retirees used canopies, chairs and their walking sticks to blocked the entrance leading to the premises of the finance office,
The veterans are owed a 20% to 28% salary increment covering January to November 2024.
The retirees are equally mounting pressure on government for the payments for other outstanding benefits, including Palliatives for the period between October 2023 and November 2024, an additional N32,000 added to their pensions, a bulk payment of the Security Debarment Allowance, and a refund of pension deductions from the salaries of medically boarded soldiers.
They had carried out an earlier action in December, during which they blocked the ministry and prevented staff from gaining access to their respective offices over the government’s inability to pay the entitlements.
For months, the retirees were told there were no funds to clear their entitlements, despite an official approval for payment.
In response to their December protests, the Federal Government paid 50% of the owed entitlements and promised to settle the balance.
However, the retirees claim the government has failed to fulfill its promise, prompting the resumption of their protests.
