Military retirees on Tuesday barricaded the entrance to the Military Pensions Board office in Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, protesting against the formula used to calculate adjustments to their pensions.
The retirees blocked access to the premises with canopies and chairs, while armed soldiers prevented them from entering the office, amid growing dissatisfaction over the implementation of the promised pension increase.
The protest followed a similar demonstration at the Ministry of Defence in September, when retired military personnel demanded higher pensions after salary adjustments for serving military officers.
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, had reportedly assured the retirees that their pensions would be increased in October.
However, the latest demonstration suggests that disagreements over how the adjustments are calculated remain unresolved.
Speaking, the Coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Azubike, accused the Military Pensions Board of adopting a formula that allegedly short-changed some retirees.
Azubike said the planned protest was driven by mounting dissatisfaction among veterans over the implementation of consequential adjustments to their pensions.
The retirees are particularly concerned that the formula adopted by the authorities does not adequately reflect the salary increases granted to serving military personnel.
The dispute centres on how the consequential adjustments should translate into higher pension payments for retired personnel.
The latest protest highlights the continuing disagreement between military veterans and the authorities over the implementation of the promised pension increase, despite the minister’s assurance that the adjustment would take effect in October.
As of the time of the report, there was no indication that the disagreement had been resolved.
