Hope Ajayi 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Retired military personnel on Tuesday blocked the entrance to the Military Pensions Board office in Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, protesting the formula being used to calculate adjustments to their pensions.
The protesters reportedly placed canopies and chairs at the entrance, restricting access to the premises, while armed soldiers were stationed at the facility. The demonstration followed weeks of dissatisfaction among military veterans over the implementation of pension increases expected after salary adjustments for serving military personnel.
The retirees argue that the calculation method does not adequately reflect the salary increases or fairly account for their pension entitlements. They are demanding a review of the formula and greater transparency in determining their revised payments.
The protest followed a similar demonstration by military veterans at the Ministry of Defence in September, when they called for an upward review of their pensions after salary improvements for serving personnel.
During the earlier protest, Defence Minister Christopher Musa reportedly assured the retirees that their pensions would be increased in October. However, disagreement over how the adjustments would be calculated has continued.
Speaking in an interview with a correspondent on Monday, the Coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Azubike, accused the Military Pensions Board of adopting a formula that allegedly disadvantages some retirees.
He said the dispute concerned not only the proposed increase but also how the revised payments would be calculated and distributed among eligible pensioners.
As of the time of filing this report, the Military Pensions Board had not issued a detailed response to the allegations. It was also unclear whether the board had opened discussions with the protesters to resolve the dispute.
About the Author
Oluwatobi Adu 
