Pensioners, military board faceoff – Daily Trust

The assembly between the administration of the Military Pension Board (MPB) and the retired officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces to resolve the disagreement on the month-to-month pension resulted in a stalemate yesterday because the veterans insisted that their newly permitted month-to-month pay needs to be re-calculated.

The deadlocked assembly got here after the retired officers had shut down the primary entrance of the board’s headquarters situated in Dutse-Alhaji/Kubwa space of Abuja in protest over what they described because the board’s ‘miscalculation’ of their new month-to-month take-home and different entitlements.

The protesters, led by one Innocent Azubuike, a retired Lieutenant-Colonel, arrived of their numbers as early as 8:30am, saying their motion grew to become crucial after they noticed that the Board was attempting to create pointless disparities within the pension constructions and funds.

Daily Trust reviews that the military veterans have been on Friday engaged by the Board chaired by Mikail Abdulraheem, an Air Vice Marshal, to make clear points surrounding the implementation of the newly permitted pension charges.

The new charges got here into existence after the retired military officers carried out a collection of protests to press dwelling their calls for over what they referred to as the stagnant nature of their month-to-month pay amid rising price of residing occasioned by inflation within the nation.

The spokesman of the MPB, Aliyu Mohammed, a Squadron Leader, had instructed journalists through a press release that the engagement offered a possibility for the board to elucidate the implementation course of.

Mohammed famous that the board additionally addressed considerations raised by the representatives through the assembly, saying the gathering promoted a shared understanding of the brand new pension charges.

“During the assembly, the representatives expressed their understanding of the reasons offered by the board and appreciated the chance to have interaction immediately with them.

“The discussions also reinforced the importance of continued dialogue, mutual understanding and the use of established communication channels to address pension-related concerns,” Mohammed mentioned.

Daily Trust reviews that there was forwards and backwards between the administration of the board and the protesters’ representatives on Tuesday when the 2 events met at a roundtable to resolve the problems.

After a number of hours of dialogue, each events caught to their weapons because the MPB urged them to point out understanding. But the retired officers mentioned they might not again down and would possibly proceed the protest if their calls for are usually not met.

The points

Prior to the Tuesday protest, checks by our correspondent confirmed that the primary challenge borders on consequential adjustment implementation of retired military officers’ pensions.

The protesting veterans argued that there have been two germane points that have to be resolved instantly, which embrace re-computation of their month-to-month pay according to retirees’ equal ranks and variety of years within the service.

They are additionally demanding a forensic audit of the MPB to establish what was launched and what was truly utilised within the fee of the consequential adjustment.

In August, the protesters laid siege to the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Defence in Abuja for days to demand instant implementation of consequential changes to their pensions.

The protesters, who retired on the rank of Colonel and under, demanded the inclusion of retired personnel within the consequential adjustment arising from current wage will increase for serving military personnel.

President Bola Tinubu had in August permitted a brand new wage scale for military males and officers, efficient from September 2026, to bolster their efficiency throughout all theatres of operations within the nation.

The retired military officers mentioned they need to profit from the increment, having served the nation for 35 years.

During the August protest, armed cops and troopers have been drawn from the Guards Brigade, resulting in a confrontation between the protesters and the safety operatives hooked up to the ministry.

The operatives prevented protesting retired military personnel from converging on the doorway of the ministry. The safety operatives have been heard threatening to open hearth if the protesting officers crossed the road, saying they have been performing on orders.

Despite the risk, the protest went on for days earlier than the minister lastly brokered a truce.

Similarly, in 2024, scores of retired military personnel stormed the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Finance and shut down the place over non-payment of their entitlements by the federal government.

The retirees, who arrived the protesting floor as early as 7:30am with sleeping mats, chairs and canopies, accused the federal authorities of not paying them a 20% to twenty-eight% wage increment from January to November 2024.

The recent protest got here lower than 12 hours after one other group of retired military personnel underneath the aegis of Ex-Service Men and Family Welfare Association of Nigeria, held a rally to demand fee of pension arrears.

What transpired on protest floor

Speaking to journalists earlier than the assembly with the MPB commenced, Azubuike alleged underpayment of their pensions, accusing the board of utilizing a pension computation system that allegedly lowered the share will increase permitted for retired personnel.

Azubuike, who’s the coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, demanded an pressing re-calculation of their entitlements according to permitted changes to the salaries of serving military personnel.

According to him, the permitted changes offered for an 80 per cent enhance for personnel from the rank of personal to workers sergeant, 50 per cent for warrant officers to colonels, and 30 per cent for brigadier generals and better ranks.

He alleged that the Board failed to use the permitted percentages on to the pension veterans have been already receiving, as a substitute utilizing a calculation technique that lowered their entitlements.

“We have gotten presidential approval for the consequential allowance on the percentages allotted to various rank categories. Now, in paying us this consequential adjustment, the Military Pension Board did not pay this very approved percentage”, he mentioned.

He defined that the veterans had earlier approached the Ministry of Defence in August to demand the inclusion of retired personnel within the salary-related changes after discovering that they’d initially been excluded.

According to him, the ministry acknowledged the omission and subsequently included them within the permitted changes.

He, nonetheless, accused the Military Pensions Board of introducing a calculation technique that allegedly undermined the permitted will increase, even if the pension charges of retirees had already been decided by their ranks and years of service at retirement.

The protesters argued that the permitted share ought to apply to the pension every retiree was receiving earlier than the adjustment, moderately than being subjected to a different calculation based mostly on the situations underneath which the person retired.

To illustrate his concern, Azubuike cited a retired soldier entitled to an 80 per cent enhance, arguing that the board’s alleged strategy may depart the pensioner receiving lower than the permitted adjustment.

He additionally alleged that the computation technique had not been utilized uniformly, leaving some veterans with funds under what they believed they have been entitled to obtain.

The veterans additional claimed that some pensioners acquired solely a part of their anticipated changes and needed to complain earlier than the excellent quantities have been paid.

Azubuike acknowledged that the board may launch the remaining arrears inside days after receiving complaints, a observe he mentioned raised questions in regards to the consistency and transparency of its fee procedures.

“We are about 100,000 military veterans,” he mentioned, including that he had data to assist the allegations of discrepancies in pension funds.

Another protester, Master Warrant Officer Duru Augustine, mentioned the alleged underpayment had left retired personnel feeling betrayed after years of service to the nation.

He maintained that the dispute involved the implementation of permitted pension changes, which he mentioned veterans had fought to safe after discovering that retired personnel have been initially excluded.

Augustine recalled that the veterans protested on August 19, after which, in keeping with him, the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, acknowledged their considerations and supported their inclusion within the adjustment.

He mentioned the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission had additionally offered a chart explaining the calculations, arguing that the board ought to implement the permitted percentages moderately than introduce a unique technique.

“It’s an insult to the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It’s an insult to the capacity of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, for him (the minister) to go back and do whatever he feels like doing,” he mentioned, referring to the alleged departure from the permitted adjustment framework.

Augustine argued that making use of the permitted percentages to present pensions needs to be easy.

“For whatever he (Azubuike) is taking every month as his pension, 50 per cent of that thing added to what he’s taking now is his actual pension now. What is the big deal?” he requested.

He additionally expressed concern in regards to the impression of the dispute on veterans’ well being and their capacity to fulfill primary wants, together with the price of remedy.

“Many of them are sick. They can’t afford medicine,” he mentioned, describing the hardship among the many protesters.

Augustine mentioned he travelled from Owerri, Imo State, in a single day to affix the protest and draw public consideration to the veterans’ complaints.

He appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the defence minister to intervene, insisting that many retired personnel depended totally on their pensions for survival.

“Some of us are not well. The government should look into our plight and help us,” he mentioned.

Explaining the computations

Pensioners’ calculation: For occasion, if a Private had retired in 2025 having served for 35 years on a wage of N100,000, he would have been receiving 90% of his final wage – N90,000 – as month-to-month pension.

Based on Consequential Adjustment (CA), they argued that the permitted enhance for his rank class is 80%. This means 80% of his N90,000 pension, which quantities to N72,000 that can then be added to make his new month-to-month pension N162,000.

If a Private whose present wage is N180,000, following the 80% increment, retires in October 2026, his pension can be calculated as 90% of his final wage (N180,000), which quantities to N162,000 monthly.

This brings the pension for each outdated and new retired privates to par.

MPB calculation: But based mostly on the Military Pension Board (MPB) calculation, the 2025 retired Private can solely get 90% of the permitted enhance.

To such a retiree, an 80% enhance means N72,000. But to MPB, it must be 90% of N72,000, which quantities to N64,800. The MPB says it’s N64,800 that can then be added to the retiree’s N90,000 pension to reach at a brand new month-to-month pension of N154,800.

Commenting on the board’s computation, the retirees mentioned such calculation promotes disparity within the pension of retirees of equal ranks and variety of years of service.

They mentioned the implication is that each troopers, who served for 35 years and retired on the identical rank, can be incomes completely different pay.

“The one which retired in 2025 is on a N154,800 month-to-month pension, whereas the one which retired this 12 months is on a N162,000 pension. This is only for the bottom paid; the disparity will increase with increased ranks. This will not be the spirit and letter of the Constitution for consequential adjustment to the pension of retirees any time there is a rise within the wage of employees.

“It’s also not the intent of the circular from NSIWC for pension purposes. And that conflated form of computation by MPB becomes more complex in computing for retirees of lesser number of years of service, and provides good room for sharp practices of short-payment,” they added.

We’re clear – Military Pension Board chair

Speaking after the assembly, the chairman of the Board mentioned the authorized framework and wage construction utilized in computing retirees’ pensions have been clear following complaints in regards to the consequential adjustment.

Abdulraheem mentioned the board was dedicated to administering pensions in accordance with the relevant legal guidelines and wage constructions issued by the NSIWC.

He defined that the fee offered a revised wage construction for pension and gratuity functions following the wage overview for serving military personnel, efficient September 1, 2026.

According to him, the construction incorporates the permitted changes and offers the idea for calculating pension entitlements throughout ranks and years of service.

He mentioned the board didn’t independently decide the wage charges however utilized the permitted construction according to the related pension rules.

Abdulraheem defined that pension computation adopted a graduated system based mostly on years of service, with entitlements rising from the prescribed minimal to a most of 90 per cent of the relevant ultimate emolument after 35 years of service.

He mentioned making use of a standard framework was important to sustaining consistency between present pensioners and personnel who would retire sooner or later.

The chairman urged veterans to submit their calculations and supporting pension data so the board can look at variations between the quantities anticipated and people acquired.

He mentioned the board was keen to elucidate its computation and work with the related authorities to make clear the problems raised.

“We want everyone to see the applicable documents and understand the computation rather than rely on assumptions,” he mentioned.

Abdulraheem mentioned the NSIWC had additionally been invited to supply clarification on the revised wage construction and the idea for the figures used within the computation.

He emphasised that particular person complaints can be extra successfully addressed via the examination of pension data and supporting paperwork.

The chairman additionally urged veterans’ organisations to undertake a coordinated strategy to have interaction the board, saying a recognised channel would facilitate communication and assist forestall the fragmentation of complaints.