Retired Soldiers Shut Down Finance Ministry in Abuja Over Unpaid Gratuities and Allowances
Tensions rose in Abuja on Monday as a group of retired Nigerian Army personnel barricaded the entrance of the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters, protesting the nonpayment of their entitlements and outstanding gratuities.
The protesters, operating under the banner of “Voluntarily Discharged Soldiers – 1st and 2nd Quarter Retirees,” blocked access to the building, halting all official activities.
Some of the ex-servicemen were dressed in military camouflage as they demanded immediate settlement of unpaid gratuity balances, Security Debarment Allowance (SDA), parking allowances, and 43 months of withheld salary arrears prior to the commencement of pension payments.
They also called for full payment of the federal government’s wage award palliative and rejected any further negotiations until their demands were met.
Efforts to pacify the protesters by a senior military officer, identified as an Air Vice Marshal, were unsuccessful, as the retirees insisted on resolution before considering dialogue. Armed security personnel, including soldiers, were deployed to the premises to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
One of the protesting veterans, Sergeant Augustine Agommo (Rtd), described the treatment of retired personnel as “unjust and degrading.”
He criticized the Military Pensions Board for refusing to process their wage adjustments, citing the retirees’ disengagement date of July 1, 2024, as a disqualifier under the new national minimum wage scheme.
“We are living heroes, not to be remembered only after we die. We gave the best years of our lives to this country, and yet we are left to suffer,” Agommo stated. “Our families are struggling while the system keeps denying us what we rightfully earned.”
Meetings were reportedly initiated between protest leaders and senior officials of the Finance Ministry. However, no official statement has been released by the Ministry of Finance or the Military Pensions Board regarding the incident as of the time of filing this report.
