Retired soldiers protest delay in payments of entitlements
Retired personnel of the Nigerian military have taken to the streets of Abuja to protest the delay in the payment of their entitlements.
Recall that the ex-soldiers called off a protest on August 4 after a meeting with officials of the Ministries of Defence and Finance, who assured them that their outstanding entitlements would be paid by August 10.
After not receiving payments, the ex-servicemen converged on the Ministry of Finance headquarters in the nation’s capital, accusing the authorities of neglect and failure to honour promises made after their meeting last month.
According to a Punch Newspaper report quoting one of the protesters, identified as Mama G, they were forced to return to the streets after previous assurances yielded no results.
“We are here because the promises made to us were never fulfilled. We had no choice but to return to the streets. This time around, the protest will be massive”, Mama G said.
This is not the first time the group has demonstrated. In recent years, retired soldiers have repeatedly taken to the streets in Abuja and other cities over what they describe as unfair treatment and neglect.
The Ministry of Defence, Defence Headquarters and Military Pension Board have yet to issue an official response as of the time of filing this report.
