Retired Soldiers barricade and protest at Finance Ministry headquarters over unpaid benefits (photos)

Dozens of retired soldiers on Monday morning, August 4, barricaded the main entrance of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, protesting the non-payment of their gratuities, Security Debarment Allowance (SDA), parking allowance, and salary shortfalls.

The protest, which began as early as 7 a.m., left ministry workers stranded for hours. The aggrieved ex-servicemen and women demanded the immediate release of their outstanding entitlements.

Carrying placards with bold messages, the protesters expressed frustration over prolonged neglect. Some of the placards read: 

“We are 1st and 2nd Quarter Retirees of NA 2003. We are living heroes and deserve to be recognized and treated right—not celebrated as fallen heroes when we are no more,” and “We the voluntary discharged soldiers of 2024 demand full payment of our benefits, including shortfalls in gratuity, SDA, parking allowance, and four months’ salary cuts.”

Despite efforts by the Chairman of the Military Pensions Board (MPB), Air Vice Marshal Adamu, to calm the situation, the retirees refused to back down, insisting on clear commitments.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and other senior officials later arrived at the scene and invited selected representatives of the protesters, along with the MPB Chairman, for a closed-door meeting to address their grievances.

As of press time, the meeting was still in progress. One of the protesters, retired Corporal Umar Faruq, who is also an engineer, said one of their major concerns was the MPB’s alleged claim that retirees disengaged as of July 1, 2024, are not eligible for the new national minimum wage.

Another protester vowed they would not leave the premises until the MPB Chairman personally confirms that the funds have been released and that payment alerts are being sent out.

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