By Miracle Ogunde
Military retirees across Nigeria are prepared for a massive protest in Abuja on Thursday to demand action from the Federal Ministry of Finance.
The retirees, who have waited for 11 months for their dues, expressed frustration over the persistent delay in the payment of their entitlements, despite securing approval for the funds.
Speaking to The PUNCH, one of the leaders of the group, Col. Innocent Azubuike (retd.), popularly known as Nass, lamented the plight of military pensioners, stating that their unpaid entitlements had caused untold hardship.
He stated that despite assurances that their entitlements would be cleared in November, they were informed that the payments could not be made due to a lack of cash-backing.
Azubuike said, “We were told approval has been secured for the payment of our entitlements. The only thing remaining is cash-backing.
“We were told to exercise patience and assured that our long-unpaid entitlements would be settled in November. November is gone, and there is no indication of when this will happen because it’s a matter with the FMoF and not the Ministry of Defence.”
Explaining why the protest would hold, Azubuike said the retirees had decided to take their fate in their hands this time around.
He said, “We must take our fate into our hands; otherwise, we will continue to die off in misery and deprivation. We have paid our dues in patriotic service to this nation. We demand our pension rights. This nation is not too poor to pay us such little stipends.”
The retired colonel revealed that preparations for the protest were already in full swing.
He said, “Affected people who are not in Abuja have been arriving. We have ordered mobile toilets and sleeping mats to be used throughout the protest. It is going to be a massive demonstration,” he declared.
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