Retired military personnel protesting at the Ministry of Finance in Abuja have begun to receive alerts for the full payment of their long-overdue entitlements, prompting them to dismantle their barricades and leave the protest site.
According to The PUNCH, the retirees, who arrived at the ministry as early as 7 a.m., had used canopies and chairs to block the entrance, preventing staff from accessing the premises.
This action followed months of unresolved demands for payment of a 20% to 28% salary increment for January to November 2024, as well as other outstanding benefits, including palliatives, pension increases, and allowances.
In December, the retirees staged a similar protest, which led to the government paying 50% of the owed entitlements and promising to settle the balance.
However, the failure to fulfill this promise spurred the veterans to resume their demonstration on Tuesday.
Efforts by security agencies and senior ministry officials to persuade the protesters to leave were unsuccessful, as the retirees insisted they would not budge until the payments were made.
The situation shifted when Air Vice Marshal Paul Irumheson, Chairman of the Military Pension Board, addressed the protesters, confirming the release of funds for their payments.
“We have received the money for the payment of your entitlements, and in the next few minutes, you will start seeing your alerts. We plead with you to leave as we are making efforts to ensure everyone gets paid,” Irumheson assured.
Shortly after, alerts began to appear on the retirees’ phones, prompting them to dismantle their canopies and leave.
“Our people have started receiving the alerts. We are now evacuating the ministry headquarters to return to our various homes,” said Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, spokesperson for the Coalition for Concerned Veterans.
Another veteran leader, Aliyu Umar, expressed relief but questioned the government’s earlier claims of insufficient funds. “Yes, we have started receiving our money. They said there was no money—so where did this come from? Do we always have to protest before we are given our entitlements?” he asked.
