Retired military personnel on Tuesday blocked the entrance to the Military Pensions Board office in Abuja, the Nigeria’s capital, over what they described as unfavorable adjustment to the pension scheme.
The retirees who barricaded the entrance, mounted canopies and set up chairs on the access road, while armed soldiers prevented them from entering the premises.
The development comes weeks after they protested at the Ministry of Defence in September, demanding an increase in their pensions following salary adjustments for serving military personnel.
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, had promised that the retirees would receive an increase in October.
The Coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, Lt. Col. Innocent Azubike, who spoke with journalists accused the board of adopting a pension adjustment formula that allegedly short-changed some retirees.
Azubike said the planned protest followed growing dissatisfaction among veterans over the implementation of consequential adjustments to their pensions.
The veterans’ concerns centre on the formula used to calculate the adjustments, which they believe has failed to adequately reflect the salary increases granted to serving military personnel.
The latest action underscores the continuing disagreement between military retirees and the authorities over the implementation of the promised pension adjustments.
