Retired Military Personnel Block Abuja Pensions Office Over Adjustment Formula

A group of military retirees blocked the entrance to the Military Pensions Board office in Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, on Tuesday, October 13, in protest against the method used to adjust their pensions. The veterans set up canopies and chairs in front of the gate to the premises and sat there, preventing access to the office. Soldiers carrying weapons were stationed at the entrance gate to stop the former service members from going inside. The action followed a demonstration by military retirees at the Ministry of Defence in September, where they called for higher pensions after salaries were adjusted for serving military personnel. According to reports, Minister of Defence Christopher Musa had assured the retirees that their pensions would be raised in October. The veterans, however, said they were unhappy with the formula the Military Pensions Board used to calculate the adjustments, claiming it had left some retirees at a disadvantage. Their complaint focuses on what they say is the formula's failure to properly reflect the salary increases given to serving military personnel. The retirees are asking for a fair adjustment of their pensions and insist the calculation method should fully take into account the salary increases that led to their earlier protest.