Military pensioners were on Wednesday prevented by soldiers from staging a protest at the ministry of defence building in Abuja over “non-implementation of consequential adjustments to their pensions”.
The retired military personnel had converged on an open field near the ministry, holding aloft banners with various inscriptions. They were making their way to the ministry’s main gate when soldiers cordoned off the area.
Police and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) also joined the soldiers in blocking roads around the ministry, with tanks and other security vehicles deployed to prevent the pensioners from accessing the premises.
The veterans subsequently moved to the road median, where they spoke to journalists about their grievances.
President Bola Tinubu recently approved a 30 percent salary increase for officers above the rank of colonel, including brigadier-generals, major-generals, lieutenant-generals and generals.
Personnel from the rank of colonel to warrant officer will receive a 50 percent increase, while those from private to staff sergeant will benefit from an 80 percent increase.
‘PENSIONERS ENTITLED TO CONSEQUENTIAL ADJUSTMENT’
Innocent Anas, a retired lieutenant colonel who spoke on behalf of the pensioners, said retired military personnel were entitled to consequential adjustments whenever the salaries of serving personnel were increased.
“We have paid our dues in patriotic service to this nation,” Anas said.
“There is a constitutional provision that when you increase the pay of any personnel, there should be a consequential allowance, consequential adjustment for pensioners.”
He said the current situation has created disparities in which some recently retired lower-ranking personnel could receive higher pensions than officers who retired earlier.
“A couple of sergeants who retired recently could be receiving a pension higher than that of a captain who retired 10 years back, and they served the same military,” he said.
Anas said the pensioners were particularly concerned that a salary increase approved for military and paramilitary personnel in November 2025 is yet to reflect in their pensions.
“Since last year, November last year, Mr President approved the new salary increase for the military and the paramilitary; it’s been in the news all over,” he said.
“November last year, this is August this year; they have not implemented it as if it’s a scam, and then a new pronouncement comes up again.”
He also referenced a recent salary pronouncement which, according to him, placed the minimum wage for serving personnel at N180,000.
PENSIONERS DEMAND ADJUSTMENT UNDER NEW SALARY STRUCTURE
Anas said any implementation of the new salary structure should include a corresponding adjustment for pensioners in line with the constitution and Armed Forces Act.
“If they want to implement it by law, constitution, and the Armed Forces Act, there should be a consequential adjustment that is an increase in the pay of pensioners to meet up to par,” he said.
He alleged that pensioners were excluded from the computation of funds required to implement the latest salary adjustment.
“You are depriving them of their constitutional and legal right,” he added.
Anas warned that failing to adjust pensions would widen the disparity between earlier and more recent retirees.
“What it means is that as a retired lieutenant colonel, I retired many years ago, my pension could be the equivalent of a lieutenant who retired just recently, because they don’t want to do the adjustment that is constitutional and legal,” he said.
He warned that the protesters would march to the presidential villa in the coming days if their demands are not addressed.
See photos from the protest below.
