After hours of protest by retired military personnel at the entrance of the Ministry of Finance in Abuja, the federal government has begun disbursing their long-overdue allowances.
The retirees had barricaded the ministry’s entrance with canopies and chairs early in the morning, preventing staff from entering the premises and forcing many to park outside.
This demonstration followed a similar protest in December 2024 when retirees shut down the ministry over the government’s failure to settle their claims.
For months, the retirees had been informed of insufficient funds to clear their entitlements, despite official approval for the payments. Specifically, they were owed a 20% to 28% salary increment covering January to November 2024. They also demanded payments for other outstanding benefits, including palliatives for the period between October 2023 and November 2024.
Additionally, the retirees requested an N32,000 increase in their pensions, a bulk payment of the Security Debarment Allowance, and a refund of pension deductions from the salaries of medically boarded soldiers.
Following their December protests, the federal government had paid 50% of the owed entitlements, promising to settle the balance. However, the retirees claimed this promise was not fulfilled, leading to the resumption of protests.
A team of police officers, other security agencies, and senior ministry staff attempted to persuade the retirees to end the protest, but they refused, insisting on leaving only after receiving credit alerts for their entitlements.
The Chairman of the Military Pension Board, Air Vice Marshal Paul Irumheson, later addressed the protesters, confirming the funds had been transferred to the board.
“We have received the money for the payment of your entitlements, and in the next few minutes, you will start seeing your alerts. We plead with you to leave as we are making efforts to ensure everyone gets paid,” Irumheson assured.
Shortly after, the retirees began receiving payment notifications. The spokesman for the Coalition for Concerned Veterans, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, confirmed the development, stating that they were now vacating the ministry headquarters.
“Our people have started receiving the alerts. We are now evacuating the ministry headquarters to return to our various homes,” he said.
Another leader of the veteran community, Aliyu Umar, also confirmed the payments and expressed frustration over the government’s earlier claims.
“Yes, we have started receiving our money. They said there was no money—so where did this come from? Do we always have to protest before we are given our entitlements?” he asked.
Following the payments, the retirees dismantled their barricades and left the Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja.
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