Retired military personnel protest in Abuja over unpaid entitlements

Retired military personnel staged a protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Thursday, December 5, 2024, over unpaid entitlements and salary increments.

The protesters accused the Federal Government of failing to pay a 20% to 28% salary increment that was promised from January to November 2024. Among their grievances were:

• Unpaid palliatives from October 2023 to November 2024.
• An additional N32,000 increment to their pensions.
• Bulk payment of the Security Debarment Allowance.
• Refund of deductions made from pensions of medically boarded soldiers.

The retirees, determined to press their demands, brought sleeping mats, chairs, and canopies to the protest site, effectively grounding activities at the ministry.

Col. Innocent Azubuike (retd.), one of the protest leaders, expressed frustration over the delayed payments, noting that many retired personnel were enduring severe hardship.

Despite prior assurances from the government that payments would be settled in November, they were informed of delays due to a lack of cash backing.

Azubuike said, “We were told approval has been secured for the payment of our entitlements. The only thing remaining is cash backing.

“We were told to exercise patience and assured that our long-unpaid entitlements would be settled in November. November is gone, and there is no indication of when this will happen because it’s a matter with the FMoF and not the Ministry of Defence.”

(Punch)