Military retirees block Pensions Board entrance in Abuja

Military retirees on Tuesday barricaded the entrance to the Military Pensions Board office in Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, protesting the formula adopted for adjusting their pensions.

The protesting veterans blocked access to the premises with canopies and chairs, while armed soldiers prevented them from entering the office.

The protest comes weeks after military retirees staged a demonstration 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 reportedly assured the retirees that their pensions would be increased in October.

However, the veterans have expressed dissatisfaction with the formula adopted by the Military Pensions Board to calculate the adjustments, alleging that it has short-changed some retirees.

Their grievance centres on what they describe as the failure of the adjustment formula to adequately reflect the salary increases granted to serving military personnel.

The latest demonstration underscores the lingering concerns among retired military personnel over their welfare and pension entitlements, despite the earlier assurance by the Defence Minister.

The retirees are demanding a fair adjustment of their pensions, insisting that the calculation method should properly account for the salary increases that prompted their earlier protest.