The federal government has begun paying the long-overdue allowances of retired military personnel following a protest at the entrance of the Ministry of Finance in Abuja.
The demonstration, which lasted several hours, saw the retirees barricading the entrance with canopies and chairs from as early as 7am, preventing ministry staff from entering the premises.
This protest comes after a similar one in December 2024, when retirees shut down the ministry over the government’s failure to settle their claims.
For months, the retirees were told that there were no funds available to clear their entitlements, despite official approvals for the payments.
The retirees were owed salary increments ranging from 20% to 28% for the period between January and November 2024, along with other benefits, including palliatives from October 2023 to November 2024.
They also demanded an additional N32,000 to be added to their pensions, a bulk payment of the Security Debarment Allowance, and a refund of pension deductions for soldiers who were medically boarded.
Despite the government paying 50% of the owed entitlements after the December protest and promising to settle the remaining balance, the retirees claimed that the promise was not fulfilled, prompting their return to the streets on Tuesday.
A team of security officers, along with senior ministry staff, attempted to persuade the retirees to end the protest, but they remained firm in their demand for credit alerts before leaving.
Their stance changed only when the Chairman of the Military Pension Board, Air Vice Marshal Paul Irumheson, addressed the protesters and confirmed that the funds for their payments had been transferred to the board.
“We have received the funds for your entitlements, and you will begin to see your alerts shortly. Please leave now as we are working to ensure everyone is paid,” Irumheson said.
Following this announcement, the retirees began receiving their payment alerts, prompting them to dismantle the protest setup and return to their homes.
Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, spokesperson for the Coalition for Concerned Veterans, confirmed that retirees were receiving their payments, while Aliyu Umar, another community leader, expressed frustration over the government’s earlier claims that there were no funds.
“Now that the money is here, we ask, why did we have to protest to receive our entitlements?” Umar said.
