Retired Soldiers Demand Pension Adjustment As Military Salaries Rise
Retired Soldiers on Wednesday protested at the Ministry of Defence in Abuja, demanding the inclusion of retired personnel in the consequential adjustment arising from recent salary increases for serving military personnel. The protesting veterans said the failure to adjust their pensions alongside increases in the salaries of serving personnel had created disparities in retirement benefits, […]
Retired military personnel marched to the Ministry of Defence in Abuja on Wednesday, demanding that they be included in the recent pension adjustments made for serving soldiers. These veterans argued that the failure to account for them in these adjustments had created an uneven playing field, as some recently retired junior officers were now receiving higher pensions than senior officers who had retired years earlier.
Led by retired Colonel Innocent Azubike, the veterans accused the government of excluding pensioners from the computation of funds required for the implementation of the latest salary increase, which was expected to take effect in September. Azubike insisted that this exclusion violated their constitutional and legal rights, as stipulated in both the Constitution and the Armed Forces Act.
According to Azubike, the consequential adjustment in pension payouts is a right that military pensioners are entitled to under the law. He emphasized that this adjustment is a matter of fairness and justice, rather than special treatment. "What we are asking for is that retirees be included in computing the consequential adjustment for the payment of the new rate," Azubike stated.
The protesting veterans were denied entry to the Ministry of Defence by serving military officers, who cited "instructions from above" as the reason for barring them from the facility. Despite being turned away, Azubike maintained that the Ministry of Defence held the necessary information to address their grievances. He believed that the ministry had the data required to calculate the financial implications of salary adjustments.
The veterans' target of the Ministry of Defence was justified, as they claimed that the ministry already possessed the necessary details to account for pensioners when determining the impact of salary changes. Azubike urged the government to respond to their demands, warning that the protesters would continue to press their case if their concerns were not addressed.
He threatened that if the government failed to act within two days, the veterans would march to the Asokoro gate, a move that could attract the attention of the Presidency.
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