Retired military personnel on Tuesday blocked the entrance to the Military Pensions Board office in Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, protesting the formula used to calculate adjustments to their pensions following salary increases for serving members of the armed forces.
The protesting veterans barricaded the entrance with canopies and chairs to express their dissatisfaction with the implementation of the pension increase, according to Naija News.
Armed soldiers were stationed at the premises and prevented the retirees from gaining access to the office during the demonstration.
The protest comes weeks after retired military personnel staged a similar demonstration at the Ministry of Defence in September, demanding that their pensions be increased to reflect salary adjustments approved for serving military personnel.
Retirees Demand Fair Pension Adjustments
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, had assured retired military personnel that their pensions would be increased in October following the salary adjustments for serving members of the armed forces.
However, concerns have emerged over the formula adopted by the Military Pensions Board to implement the consequential pension adjustments.
The Coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Azubike, had questioned the calculation method, alleging that it could put some retired military personnel at a disadvantage.
Speaking in an interview on Monday, Azubike said the planned protest was driven by growing dissatisfaction among veterans over how the pension adjustments were being handled.
According to him, the method being used to calculate the increases does not adequately reflect the salary adjustments approved for serving military personnel.
The retirees fear that the formula could leave some pensioners receiving less than they expect from the announced adjustments, prompting renewed calls for a review of the calculation process.
Concerns Over Military Pension Increase
The dispute centres on how salary increases granted to serving military personnel should translate into pension adjustments for retired members of the armed forces.
While the Defence Minister had assured the retirees of an increase in October, the veterans’ concerns suggest that the method of calculating the adjustments remains a major source of disagreement.
The latest demonstration highlights the continuing demand by retired military personnel for a transparent and equitable process that ensures pension adjustments adequately reflect approved salary increases.
The retirees are seeking a resolution to the dispute over the calculation formula, with their protest putting renewed pressure on the Military Pensions Board to address their concerns.
As of the time of this report, the details of any response from the Military Pensions Board to the latest protest were not provided in the available report.