By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
Some ex-soldiers of the Nigerian Army who voluntarily disengaged in the third and fourth quarters of 2023 staged a peaceful protest on Monday in front of the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja, demanding the immediate payment of their outstanding entitlements.
The aggrieved ex-servicemen, who officially left the military on July 1, 2024, carried banners listing their demands, which include: complete payment of gratuity and Salary Deductions Allowance (SDA) based on the new national minimum wage, payment of housing scheme contributions, payment of NAWIS/BenFund, and settlement of their packing allowance.
The protest, which began as early as 7 a.m., left ministry workers stranded for hours, unable to access their offices as the aggrieved ex-servicemen—comprising both men and women—demanded the immediate release of their outstanding entitlements.
The protesters, many of whom said they had served the country diligently for years, expressed frustration over the delay, describing it as unfair treatment after years of service.
Despite pleas from the Chairman of the Military Pensions Board (MPB), Air Vice Marshal Adamu, who arrived at the scene to pacify the retirees, the protesters refused to disperse, insisting on concrete assurances.
Later, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and other senior officials arrived, urging calm and inviting selected representatives of the protesters, alongside the MPB Chairman, for a closed-door meeting to discuss their grievances.
As of press time, the meeting was still ongoing. However, one of the protesting retirees, Corporal Umar Faruq (rtd.), who is also an engineer, disclosed that one of their key complaints is that the Military Pensions Board allegedly claimed they are not entitled to the new national minimum wage, having been disengaged on July 1, 2024.
Another protester vowed they would not leave the premises until the MPB Chairman personally addresses them and confirms that funds for their benefits have been released and that payment alerts will begin to roll in.
