Abuja, Nigeria – Tension no dey jolly jolly for Federal Ministry of Finance as plenty retired soldiers don carry their gried come outside. Dis wahala happen on Monday morning as dem gather to protest non-payment of their entitlements, wey include gratuities, Security Debarment Allowance (SDA), and some salary shortfalls. E start as early as 7 a.m., and e cause serious wahala for people wey dey work for the ministry, dem no fit enter the office for hours (yarn no fit pass anywhere).
Di ex-servicemen, wey plenty male and female, come display placards with strong messages. One of di placard talk say: “We are living heroes and deserve to be treated right—not celebrated as fallen heroes when we are no more.” Another one wey dem carry go talk say, “We, di voluntarily discharged soldiers of 2024, demand full payment of our benefits, including shortfalls in gratuity, SDA, and parking allowance.” Na so gbege take dey unfold!
Omo, na serious matter! Dem even block di entrance wey senior officials go pass. Na so as usual, come plenty people waka dey curious dem come gather for the area. Di protest come catch di attention of dem military big men, plus dem officials from di Finance Ministry. One military big man, wey na Air Vice Marshal Adamu, come try appeal to dem to calm down. But e no work, as di veterans stand their ground say dem no go move until dem get serious matter from dem wahala.
One of di protest leaders, Umar Faruq wey dey retire as Corporal, talk say di Military Pensions Board dey show dem clear neglect. He claim say dem tell dem say dem no dey entitled to di new national minimum wage adjustments because dem don discharge dem for July 1, 2024. Faruq no gree hear word, say: “This na unacceptable! We don serve this country well, how dem go dey treat us like say we no matter?”
Another retiree, Sergeant Mohamed Kabiru, come dey vex as he talk about di yawa wey soldier dey face after dem finish service. “Dem no pay us our full money. We sacrifice plenty for this country, yet we still dey beg for wetin we suppose collect like small children,” he dey talk, dey compare how dem dey pay footballers better money for 90 minutes matter, but dem dey ignore di ones wey don carry iron for body from serious injuries. “Dis one no dey make sense!”
Lawrence Yusuf, wey don serve 31 years for di military, come tell wetin e experience. He claim say all di gratuity wey dem pay am na ₦6.8 million, and he dey wonder how person go use dat one buy land for Nigeria today. “After thirty years of hard work, dis na wetin I dey collect? It’s disgraceful!” he shout.
Di protesters dey complain say government dey use 2019 salary structure to calculate their benefits, despite say minimum wage don change since 2024. Di back and forth don dey make body dey hot, say dem dey pressured to leave military barracks without collecting di parking allowance wey go fit help dem relocate. “Dem no pay us for moving, yet dem dey push us out?” one retiree dey question.
Dem talk say this kind systemic neglect don dey happen for generations, giving hope say if dem no talk up now, di next generation go face di same level of injustice. “Our fathers face dis same wahala. If we no open mouth now, dem go continue to chop our right,” one veteran don talk.
While di protest dey cause wahala for di Finance Ministry, di Permanent Secretary for Special Duties finally come meet di crowd. E dey talk on behalf of di Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and e acknowledge di grievances. “You are entitled to these benefits. I give you my word, we go sit down with your leaders and solve di matter,” he assure dem.
Despite di vow from di government to settle di matter, di veterans no wan back down. Dem talk say this fight na for dem and future retired soldiers to ensure say dem no face di same trouble wey dem dey face. “We be federal workers and we don give plenty for this country. If nothing happen now, morale and security go dey suffer,” dem dey shout for di protest area. Dem don call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene make sure say dem right no go continue to dey neglected.
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