Monday, August 4, 2025 - 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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