Retired military personnel protest at ministry of finance over unpaid entitlements

By Abubakar Yunusa

Some retired military personnel protested at the main gate of the federal ministry of finance on Monday over unpaid entitlements.

The group, which disengaged from the army in February 2024, barricaded the main gate of the ministry, demanding the immediate payment of outstanding shortfalls in their gratuity, parking allowance and security debarment allowance (SDA).

Speaking to journalists, Corporal Eze Moses, retired, said they were fighting for their entitlements.

“We served the army for years, and our entitlements have not been paid. We don’t want to be tempted to commit a crime,” Eze said.

“If almost 1,000 of us should go and carry arms, I think the country will turn to slavery, and we don’t want that. We want to beg for our entitlements to be paid.”

On his part, Simeon David, staff-sergeant, said they had been short paid for some time now.

“Instead of them to calculate it well with the new rate, they used the old rate,” David said.

“They have been promising to pay, and we have been waiting patiently to see what they are going to do. Up till now, we have not heard from them, so we have to come and see for ourselves.”

Also, Umar Umar, a retiree, said the military pensions board informed them they were not entitled to the new national minimum wage adjustments, citing their disengagement date of July 1, 2024, as the reason.

“This is unacceptable. We gave our best years to the nation,” he said.

“Many of us are suffering while the system continues to deny us what is rightfully ours, this is a deliberate neglect.”

Reacting to the demands of the soldiers, Raymond Omachi, permanent secretary, special duties, of the ministry, assured the soldiers that the government would look into their demands.

On January 7, some retired military personnel protested at the ministry of finance over unpaid entitlements.