Retired military personnel on Tuesday October 13 blocked the entrance to the Military Pensions Board office in Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, protesting the formula adopted for calculating adjustments to their pensions.
The protesting veterans barricaded the entrance with canopies and chairs, expressing dissatisfaction with the implementation of pension increases expected to reflect salary adjustments approved for serving members of the Armed Forces.
Armed soldiers were deployed to the premises and prevented the retirees from entering the office as the demonstration continued.
The protest followed an earlier demonstration by retired military personnel at the Ministry of Defence in September, during which they demanded that their pensions be adjusted in line with salary increases granted to serving military personnel.
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, had assured the retirees that their pensions would be increased in October following the adjustment of salaries for serving military personnel.
However, the planned pension adjustments have sparked concerns among the veterans over the method being used by the Military Pensions Board to determine the new rates.
The Coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Azubike, had criticised the board’s calculation formula, arguing that it could disadvantage some pensioners and deny them the full benefits they expected from the adjustments.
Azubike, who earlier spoke in an interview on Monday, said the planned protest was prompted by growing dissatisfaction among retired military personnel over the handling of the consequential pension adjustments.
According to him, the formula adopted by the board does not adequately reflect the salary increases approved for serving military personnel, raising fears that some retirees could receive lower increases than anticipated.
The veterans are demanding a review of the calculation method to ensure that the pension adjustments are implemented fairly and reflect the approved salary changes.
The protest underscores the growing tension between retired military personnel and the authorities over pension entitlements, with the veterans seeking assurances that the promised increases will translate into meaningful improvements in their retirement benefits.
