Retired Military Personnel Protest Over Unpaid Entitlements in Abuja

Babatunji Wusu –

• Retired military personnel barricaded the entrance to the Ministry of Finance in Abuja, demanding full payment of their long-overdue entitlements.
• The protest follows a similar demonstration in December when the retirees had shut down the ministry over unpaid claims.
• They are owed a salary increment of 20% to 28% covering January to November 2024, along with other outstanding benefits such as palliatives, pension increases, and security allowance payments.
• The Federal Government paid 50% of the owed entitlements in December but has not settled the remaining balance, prompting the resumption of protests.

Retired military personnel once again protested outside the Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Tuesday, blocking the entrance with canopies and chairs to demand the full payment of their long-overdue entitlements. This demonstration follows a similar protest in December, where retirees had shut down the ministry over the government’s failure to address their outstanding claims.

The retirees are owed a 20% to 28% salary increment for the period from January to November 2024, alongside additional benefits, including palliative payments for October and November 2024, an increase of N32,000 to their pensions, a bulk payment for the Security Debarment Allowance, and a refund of pension deductions from medically boarded soldiers.

Although the Federal Government made a partial payment of 50% of the owed entitlements following the December protest and pledged to settle the remaining balance, the retirees assert that the government has not followed through on its promise. As a result, they resumed their protests by barricading the gate to the Ministry of Finance, preventing staff from entering the premises and forcing many to park outside.