Retired Soldiers End Protest as FG Pledges Settlement of Benefits

Retired Soldiers Suspend Protest as FG Assures Entitlements Payment
Veterans raised concerns over payment chart discrepancies and unpaid allowances.
Soldiers suspended protests, urging transparency in future entitlements.

The Federal Government has pledged to settle outstanding entitlements owed to retired soldiers this week, ending a week-long protest at the Ministry of Finance in Abuja.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that by Monday afternoon, the protesting ex-servicemen dismantled their canopy and dispersed after a closed-door meeting with officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Military Pension Board, the Nigerian Army Welfare Insurance Scheme (NAWIS), and the Security Debarment Allowance (SDA) department.

Leader of the veterans, Retired Sergeant Ekundayo Alisame, said government officials collected the names of unpaid beneficiaries and promised that disbursement would begin before the weekend. “They assured us that by the weekend payments will start for all affected retirees, including those under NAWIS and Benford,” he stated.

The protest centred on alleged discrepancies in the payment chart. Alisame explained that while some retirees received payments calculated within a July–December range, others were meant to fall under a January–June range. He said officials admitted the error and agreed to correct it.

Beyond pensions, the meeting allowed veterans to raise other concerns, including shortfalls in packing allowances and unpaid three-month benefits. Alisame urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure a transparent system where soldiers are informed of their entitlements from the day they join the service, stressing that such clarity would prevent future disputes.

“From the moment one is shortlisted, the entitlements after service should be clearly stated. This will eliminate the struggles veterans face after discharge,” he added.

The government also clarified that the protesting soldiers were not entitled to the new payment rate, a position the veterans reluctantly accepted.

The ex-servicemen, who had vowed to continue demonstrations despite directives from Defence Headquarters to vacate, agreed to suspend their protest following the government’s latest assurance.

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