The Federal Government has assured protesting retired soldiers that their long-awaited entitlements will be paid before the weekend, leading to the suspension of their week-long demonstration at the gate of the Ministry of Finance in Abuja.
Naija News reports that by 3:00 pm on Monday, the ex-servicemen quietly dismantled their canopy and dispersed after a closed-door meeting with officials from the ministry, the Military Pension Board, the Nigerian Army Welfare Insurance Scheme (NAWIS), and the Security Debarment Allowance (SDA) department.
Leader of the protesting veterans, Retired Sergeant Ekundayo Alisame, confirmed the assurance to journalists after the meeting.
“They collected the names, and they promised that from now till weekend, they will start to pay all those NAWIS, Benford, and whosoever that claimed not to have received some part of his payment,” The PUNCH quoted Alisane as saying.
Alisame explained that the core of the protest was a discrepancy in the payment chart used to calculate benefits.
“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,” he said.
The meeting also addressed other outstanding issues such as shortfalls in packing allowances and the payment of three months in lieu of benefits.
Alisame urged President Bola Tinubu to instruct military authorities to establish a transparent system that would allow soldiers to know their exact entitlements before leaving service.
“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, if I serve five years, this is my entitlement. So that all this mess will not come again,” he said.
He lamented that delays in payment often left veterans struggling to access their rightful dues.
“Right from the day my name is out, I was discharged, my money should be ready for collection. There is a collection that means from NAWIS, Military Pension Board, SDA to come in bulk, so that we can utilise that money and use it well,” he added.
Not Entitled to New Rate
However, the retired soldiers were also informed during the meeting that they are not entitled to the new payment rate.
“They said we are not entitled for the new rate. That is our conclusion today,” Alisame said.
Naija News recalls that on September 6, 2025, the retired soldiers, protesting unpaid entitlements, had vowed to continue their demonstrations at the Ministry of Finance despite an order from the Defence Headquarters directing them to vacate the premises.
The ex-servicemen accused military authorities of diverting funds meant for their allowances and gratuities. They also argued that as civilians, they were no longer bound by military law and therefore had the constitutional right to stage peaceful demonstrations.
However, following Monday’s assurances, the veterans suspended their protest, expressing confidence that the government would commence payments this week as promised.
For many of them, however, the hope remains that this will mark the beginning of a more transparent and reliable system for military retirees.
The post Retired Soldiers End Protest As FG Vows To Pay Entitlements This Week appeared first on Naija News.
