•The protesting retired soldiers
Dozens of retired soldiers today barricaded the main entrance of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, protesting the non-payment of their gratuities, Security Debarment Allowance (SDA), parking allowance, and salary shortfalls.
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, reports Vanguard.
The visibly angry protesters carried placards with messages such as: “We are 1st and 2nd Quarter Retirees of NA 2003. We are living heroes and deserve to be recognized and treated right — not celebrated as fallen heroes when we are no more,” and “We the voluntary discharged soldiers of 2024 demand full payment of our benefits, including shortfalls in gratuity, SDA, parking allowance, and four months’ salary cuts.”
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.
