JUST-IN: Protesting Military Veterans Block Pensions Board Entrance In Abuja

Military veterans on Tuesday barricaded the entrance to the Military Pensions Board office in Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, over concerns about the formula adopted for adjusting their pensions.

The veterans blocked the entrance with canopies and chairs, while armed soldiers prevented them from entering the premises.

The protest comes weeks after military retirees demonstrated at the Ministry of Defence in September, demanding an increase in their pensions following salary adjustments for serving military personnel.

The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, had promised that the retirees would receive an increase in October.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent on Monday, the Coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, Lt. Col. Innocent Azubike, accused the board of adopting a pension adjustment formula that allegedly short-changed some retirees.

Azubike said the planned protest followed growing dissatisfaction among veterans over the implementation of consequential adjustments to their pensions.

He said the veterans’ concerns centred on the formula used to calculate the adjustments, which they believed had failed to adequately reflect the salary increases granted to serving military personnel.

Details soon…