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Jolted by protest, Nigerian govt begins payment of pensions, entitlements to military retirees
The Federal Government has initiated the payment of pensions and other entitlements to retired military personnel, including three months of outstanding arrears.
The announcement was made by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, in a statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Ministry of Defence, Henshaw Ogubike.
The development comes after retired military personnel staged a protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, expressing frustration over unpaid entitlements.
Their grievances included the government’s delay in implementing a promised 20% to 28% salary increment for January to November 2024, overdue palliative payments for October 2023 to November 2024, a bulk payment of the Security Debarment Allowance, and a refund of pension deductions for medically discharged soldiers.
Matawalle assured the retirees that the payment process had commenced and revealed that military personnel had begun receiving payment alerts.
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“President Bola Tinubu released funds for the payment of pension and other entitlements owed to retired military personnel on Thursday,” the minister stated.
“In spite of initial setbacks, be rest assured that Mr President will do everything within his power to uplift our military forces as they confront the challenges of insecurity,” Matawalle said.
Matawalle urged members of the military to remain steadfast in their duties, assuring them that the administration remains committed to bolstering their morale and providing the necessary resources to tackle security challenges.
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