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The veterans’ coordinator maintained that the difference between the two calculations demonstrated why retirees were demanding a review of the implementation formula.
KaNo —
Military retirees are set to stage a protest at the Military Pensions Board office in Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, on Tuesday over alleged disparities in the implementation of newly approved pension adjustments for retired personnel.
The planned demonstration comes weeks after military veterans protested at the Ministry of Defence in September, demanding an upward review of their pensions following salary adjustments for serving military personnel.
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, had assured the retirees that their pensions would be increased in October, raising expectations among former servicemen and women awaiting improved payments.
Following the assurance, the Military Pensions Board announced the commencement of the implementation of revised pension rates arising from adjustments associated with the new national minimum wage.
The board also disclosed that applicable pension arrears had been processed, with payments into pensioners’ bank accounts beginning on October 2, 2026.
However, the development has generated controversy among some retirees, who alleged that the formula adopted in calculating the adjustments resulted in unequal payments to personnel with similar ranks and years of service.
Speaking during an interview with Punch News, the Coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, Lt Col Innocent Azubike, accused the board of adopting a computation method that allegedly short-changed some military pensioners.
Azubike said dissatisfaction with the implementation of the consequential adjustments had continued to grow among retired personnel, prompting preparations for another demonstration.
“Over 90 per cent of veterans have been criticising and attacking them on that issue. All is set for our protest tomorrow at the military pension board. This time around our protest is going to be massive,” he said.
He also criticised a consultative meeting organised by the board with representatives of military veterans’ associations on Friday, October 9, alleging that the engagement failed to adequately reflect the concerns of the wider veteran community.
According to him, only a limited number of retirees residing around Abuja were invited to the meeting, with insufficient notice given to other stakeholders.
“They just summoned a handful of veterans from around Abuja. They called it a meeting, but it was summoned in less than 24 hours,” Azubike stated.
He maintained that reports suggesting that participants at the meeting were satisfied with the pension adjustments had further aggravated tensions among retirees.
“It caused a backlash, a thorough backlash, and heightened anger among the wider veteran community. We are ready for the protest tomorrow at the Military Pensions Board office in Dutse Alhaji. It is going to be massive, and all is set for that,” he added.
Explaining the controversy, Azubike argued that the board’s calculation method could create differences in pension payments between retirees who attained the same rank and completed identical years of service but retired at different periods.
He illustrated his argument using two hypothetical soldiers who retired as privates after completing 35 years of military service.
According to him, a soldier who retired in October 2025 while earning N100,000 monthly would ordinarily receive N90,000 as pension, representing 90 per cent of the final salary.
He explained that applying an 80 per cent consequential adjustment directly to the existing pension would produce an increase of N72,000, bringing the retiree’s monthly entitlement to N162,000.
However, Azubike alleged that the board instead applied the 90 per cent pension rate to the N72,000 adjustment, resulting in an increase of N64,800 and a revised pension of N154,800.
He contrasted this with another private who retired in October 2026 after completing the same 35 years of service but earned N180,000 monthly before retirement.
“At a 90 per cent pension rate, the retiree would receive N162,000 monthly,” he explained.
The veterans’ coordinator maintained that the difference between the two calculations demonstrated why retirees were demanding a review of the implementation formula.
He argued that pension adjustments should not disadvantage former military personnel merely because they retired before subsequent salary increases.
“This is not the spirit and letter of the constitutional and legal provision for consequential adjustment on the pension of retirees any time there is an increase in the salary of workers,” he stated.
Azubike further alleged that the computation method could produce more complicated outcomes for personnel who retired after fewer years of service, potentially exposing them to short-payment.
He said the protesters would demand the rejection of any pension policy considered discriminatory against retired military personnel.
The association is also seeking a forensic audit of the Military Pensions Board to determine the amount of money released for pension payments and how the funds were disbursed.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Military Pensions Board, Air Vice Marshal M. Abdulraheem, has reaffirmed the board’s commitment to ensuring that retired military personnel benefit from approved pension adjustments.
Abdulraheem gave the assurance on Monday while receiving a delegation from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission at the board’s headquarters in Abuja.
In a statement issued by the board’s spokesman, Squadron Leader Aliyu Mohammed, the commission’s delegation visited to discuss the implementation of the new national minimum wage and its implications for military pensions.
The chairman described the implementation of approved adjustments as a priority, considering its implications for the welfare of retired servicemen and women.
He reiterated the board’s commitment to ensuring that pensioners “benefit fully from approved wage and pension adjustments.”
During the visit, the delegation received briefings on procedures for reviewing pension entitlements, validating pensioners’ records and incorporating approved adjustments into payments.
The officials also interacted with management staff and examined systems established to ensure accurate pension calculations and timely disbursement.
Separately, retired military personnel under the Coalition of Concerned Veterans have threatened another peaceful protest at the Military Pensions Board headquarters on Thursday.
The coalition, comprising affiliated veterans’ associations, said it would mobilise retirees from across the country unless the board provided satisfactory responses to their concerns before the scheduled demonstration.
The threatened protests highlight continuing disagreements over the implementation of revised pension rates despite the board’s assurances that approved adjustments and applicable arrears are being paid.
