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By Lizzy Chirkpi
A group of discharged Nigerian soldiers on Thursday resumed protests in Abuja, the nation’s capital insisting on the immediate payment of their long-overdue entitlements.
The ex-servicemen, who had suspended their earlier protest on August 4 following assurances from the Ministries of Defence and Finance, said the government failed to fulfil its promise to clear their outstanding dues by August 10.
Converging once again at the Ministry of Finance headquarters in the nation’s capital, the protesters accused the authorities of neglect and insincerity.
“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,” said one of the protesters, a woman identified as Mama G.
This latest protest adds to a series of similar demonstrations staged by retired soldiers in recent years. Many of them allege systemic neglect, poor welfare packages, and failure to implement agreements on severance pay, pensions, and other entitlements.
Background checks reveal that such protests have often been triggered by delays in gratuity payments, non-adjustment of pensions to match new salary structures, and poor medical care for veterans. Despite several engagements between the government and affected ex-soldiers, concrete action has remained elusive.
As of the time of filing this report, the Ministry of Defence, Defence Headquarters, and Military Pension Board had not issued any official statement on the renewed protest.