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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
Retired personnel from the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Tuesday barricaded the entrance to the Ministry of Finance in Abuja with canopies and chairs over the nonpayment of their long-overdue entitlements.
The retirees are also demanding payments for other outstanding benefits, including: Palliatives for the period between October 2023 and November 2024, an additional N32,000 added to their pensions, a bulk payment of the Security Debarment Allowance(SBA) and a refund of pension deductions from the salaries of medically boarded soldiers.
They are owed a 20% to 28% salary increment covering January to November 2024.
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The protest follows a similar action in December, during which the retirees shut down the ministry over the government’s failure to settle their claims.
For sometime now, the retirees were told there were no funds to clear their entitlements, despite an official approval for payment.
However In response to their December protests, the federal government paid 50% of the owed entitlements and promised to settle the balance.
But the retirees claim the government has failed to fulfill its promise, prompting the resumption of their protests.
The protesters who gathered at the Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja, mounted canopies and placed chairs to block the gate to prevent staff from gaining access into the premises, thus forcing many to park their vehicles outside.
