Retired Nigerian soldiers staged a protest on Thursday at the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja, blocking its entrance over delays in the release of funds for their outstanding entitlements. The ex-servicemen accused the government of failing to honour assurances that their benefits would be paid by August 10. They had earlier suspended a similar protest on August 4 after meetings with officials of the Ministries of Defence and Finance, who promised that the backlog of payments would be cleared.
One of the protesters, identified as Mama G, said their return to the streets was driven by government’s failure to act on its commitments. “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,” she stated.
Over the years, retired soldiers have held multiple demonstrations in Abuja and other cities, decrying delays in pension payments and accusing authorities of neglect. As of press time, officials of the Ministry of Defence, Defence Headquarters, and the Military Pensions Board had yet to respond to the renewed protest.
Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanguardngr.com/
