* Demand payment of entitlements
Some retired military personnel, again on Tuesday, barricaded the entrance to the Ministry of Finance in Abuja with canopies and chairs demanding the full payment of their long-overdue entitlements.
Their 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 months, the retirees were told there was no money to clear their entitlements, despite an official approval for payment.
They are owed about 20% to 28% salary increment covering January to November 2024.
The retirees are also demanding payments for other outstanding benefits, including palliatives for the period between October 2023 and November 2024, as well as N32,000 added to their pensions, a bulk payment of the Security Debarment Allowance, and a refund of pension deductions from the salaries of medically boarded soldiers.
In response to their December protests, the Federal government paid 50% of the owed entitlements, and promised to settle the balance.
However, the retirees claim that the government has failed to fulfill its promise, prompting the resumption of their protests.
At the ministry in Abuja, the retirees erected canopies and placed chairs to block the gate, effectively preventing staff from driving into the premises, and forcing many to park their vehicles outside.
