Ex-Soldiers Disrupt Activities At Finance Ministry Over Unpaid Entitlements

Some retired military personnel on Thursday grounded activities at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja over their unpaid entitlements.

The former soldiers accused the federal government of not paying them the 20 -28 per cent pensions increment from January to November 2024.

They also demanded payments for their palliatives from October 2023 to November 2024, payment of additional N32, 000 to their pensions, the bulk payment of the Security Debarment Allowance and refund of deductions made from the pensions of medically boarded soldiers, among others.

The protesting veterans brought sleeping mats, chairs and canopies to the protest ground, vowing not to leave unless their demands were met.

One of the leaders of the group, Col. Innocent Azubuike (retd.) said they decided to protest after many failed assurances by the government.

According to him, the retirees were aware that the Ministry of Defence had given approval for the money to be paid but the Ministry of Finance was yet to effect the payment.

Azubuike said, “Our grievances has brought us under one umbrella. There are different groups of people with different issues. The little entitlements we have been expecting for long have not been paid despite several promises. This protest should have been held in the past but they are always convincing us there was no need for it and the needful would be done.

“The last assurance given to us was that by the end of November our entitlements would be paid. November has come and gone, nothing was paid and there was no indication that the money would be paid in December.”

He added that the failure on the part of the government motivated the decision for the former soldiers to come out and express their frustration over their unpaid entitlements.

“We were made to understand that there is no issue about the approval of our money, approval has been given but the Ministry of Finance was the one holding on to our money. That’s why we are here,” he explained.