Retired military personnel on Tuesday blocked the entrance to the Military Pensions Board office in Dutse Alhaji, Abuja, protesting the formula used to calculate adjustments to their pensions.
The veterans barricaded the gate with canopies and chairs to register their anger over how the pension increase is being implemented. Armed soldiers were deployed to the premises and stopped the retirees from entering the office.
The protest comes weeks after another demonstration by retired servicemen at the Ministry of Defence in September, where they demanded that their pensions be raised in line with salary adjustments granted to serving personnel.
Defence Minister Christopher Musa had earlier assured the retirees that their pensions would be increased in October, following the salary review for serving members of the armed forces.
The Coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, Lieutenant Colonel Innocent Azubike, has however raised concerns about the method adopted by the Military Pensions Board. In an interview on Monday, he accused the board of using a calculation approach that puts some retirees at a disadvantage.
Azubike said growing dissatisfaction among veterans over the handling of the consequential adjustments to their pensions was behind the protest.
According to the retirees, the formula does not properly reflect the salary increases approved for serving personnel, and could leave some pensioners with less than they expected.
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