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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Military Pensions Board (MPB) has pledged to review complaints by military veterans over pension computations and the implementation of recent consequential adjustments, following a protest by retirees in Abuja.
At a meeting with members of the Veterans Association of Nigeria at the board’s headquarters, MPB Chairman, Air Vice Marshal Mikail Abdulraheem, asked pensioners to submit their calculations and supporting records so that differences between expected and actual payments could be examined.
Representatives of the veterans alleged that some retirees received increases below the percentages announced for their rank categories. They also raised concerns about differences in arrears paid to warrant officers and master warrant officers, as well as benefits for medically boarded personnel.
Abdulraheem said the board administered pensions in accordance with applicable laws and salary structures issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
He explained that the commission had provided a revised salary structure for pension and gratuity computations following the salary review for serving military personnel, effective September 1, 2026.
According to him, the structure incorporates the approved adjustments and provides the basis for calculating entitlements across ranks and years of service. The board, he said, did not independently determine salary rates but applied the approved structure under the relevant pension regulations.
Abdulraheem said pension computation followed a graduated formula based on years of service, with entitlements rising from the prescribed minimum to a maximum of 90 per cent of the applicable final emolument after 35 years of service.
He said a common framework was necessary to maintain consistency between existing pensioners and personnel who would retire in the future.
“We want everyone to see the applicable documents and understand the computation rather than rely on assumptions,” he said.
The chairman said the commission had been invited to clarify the revised salary structure and the figures used in the computations. He assured veterans that the board would examine individual complaints against the relevant records and regulations.
He also urged veterans’ organisations to coordinate their engagement with the board, saying a recognised channel would improve communication and prevent complaints from becoming fragmented.
Duru Augustine, Master Warrant Officer (retd), said the veterans wanted a clear explanation of how the revised salary structure translated into the amounts received by individual pensioners.
He called for their concerns to be examined under the applicable pension framework and for greater transparency in the implementation of the adjustments.
Abdulraheem reiterated the board’s readiness to review the disputed payments, saying accurate records were essential to resolving the complaints and maintaining confidence in pension administration.
The disputed calculations were not fully reconciled during the meeting.
