The Federal Government has promised retired soldiers that their pensions will be paid this week, thereby ending their week-long protest at the Ministry of Finance’s gate in Abuja.
By 3:00 p.m. on Monday, the protesting ex-servicemen had quietly taken down their canopy and dispersed after meeting with officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Military Pension Board, the Nigerian Army Welfare Insurance Scheme, and the Security Debarment Allowance department.
Retired Sergeant Ekundayo Alisame, the leader of the protesting ex-servicemen, said that the government’s pledge came after a closed-door meeting in which veterans expressed their issues.
Alisame informed journalists that the administration had gathered the names of those who had not received complete compensation and pledged that payments would begin before the weekend.
“They collected the names, and they promised that from now till the weekend, they will start to pay all those NAWIS, Benford, and whosoever that claimed not to have received some part of his payment,” Alisame said.
The retired soldiers had objected to the payout chart used to compute their pensions.
Alisame revealed that there was a difference in the chart, with some retirees receiving payouts from July to December, while others, including veterans, should have received payments from January to June.
“What we agreed on, what the authority told us today, is that the chart being used to prepare our benefits is not supposed to be so. Because we have a chart that started from January to June, while some started from July to December. And they told us that we fall within the range of January to June. That is just our bone of contention,” Alisame said.
The gathering also allowed veterans to discuss pending issues with relevant departments such as the Military Pension Board, SDA, and NAWIS.
These complaints varied from insufficient packing allowances to payment of three months in lieu of compensation.
Alisame also urged President Bola Tinubu to direct military authorities to develop a transparent system that clearly specifies soldiers’ entitlements before discharge.
He urged that soldiers learn about their perks as soon as they start the army to avoid future payment delays.
“I appeal to President Tinubu to tell the military authorities that the day anybody is shortlisted into the system, you should be able to know that if I serve five years, this is my entitlement. So that all this mess will not come again,” he said.
Alisame also decried the delays in payment that often forced veterans into prolonged struggles to access their rightful entitlements.
“Right from the day my name is out, I am discharged, and my money should be ready for collection. There is a collection that means from NAWIS, the Military Pension Board, and SDA to come in bulk so that we can utilize that money and use it well,” he said.
The committee also underlined that retired soldiers were not eligible for the new payment rate.
“They argued we weren’t eligible for the new rate. ‘That is our conclusion today,’ Alisame said.
On September 6, 2025, Chronicle NG reported that retired soldiers protesting unpaid entitlements pledged to continue their rallies at the Ministry of Finance in Abuja, despite an order from the Defence Headquarters to leave the grounds.
The ex-servicemen, who have held many rallies in recent months, accused the military officials of diverting monies intended for their allowances and gratuities.
They claimed that as civilians, they are no longer subject to military law and hence have the constitutional right to hold peaceful demonstrations.
However, following the government’s pledge to begin paying later this week, the protesting soldiers ceased their demonstration, believing that the payment process would soon begin.
