By Obinna Uballa
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has ordered retired soldiers protesting at the Federal Ministry of Finance over unpaid entitlements to vacate the premises, warning that their continued blockade is disrupting government operations.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, issued the directive on Thursday while briefing journalists in Abuja.
He said the protests stemmed from the implementation of the new national minimum wage in 2024, which introduced two separate salary charts for military personnel.
According to him, a “pre-minimum wage chart” applied from January 1 to July 28, 2024, while the “minimum wage chart” took effect on July 29, 2024, and remains in force. Gratuity and security debarment allowances, he explained, are calculated based on the salary structure in effect at the time of retirement.
“Before the implementation of the new minimum wage, there was a chart on which gratuity and security debarment allowance for soldiers was calculated, and later the minimum wage chart. Essentially, there were two charts in 2024,” Kangye said.
“The first, known as the pre-minimum wage chart, was effective from January 1 to July 28, 2024. This was the chart used to calculate the entitlements of soldiers who retired within that period. The second chart took effect from July 29, 2024, and remains applicable.
“Now, if a soldier retires today, his benefits will be based on the current chart. If another chart is introduced tomorrow, the same soldier’s entitlements will not be recalculated using the new chart. Unfortunately, those who retired between January and July 2024 want their benefits recalculated based on the new minimum wage chart. This is not possible because the policy only came into effect on July 29.”
He stated that the DHQ had repeatedly explained this position to the aggrieved veterans, but they continued to block access to the Ministry of Finance.
“Their actions are seriously affecting the smooth conduct of official activities. While we recognise the right to protest, we strongly advise the veterans to tread with caution and vacate the ministry’s premises so that government business can proceed unhindered,” Kangye said.
He assured that the Armed Forces remain committed to defending the nation’s territorial integrity, supporting civil authorities in maintaining internal security, and ensuring peace and stability.
The protesting ex-soldiers are part of a group that has staged demonstrations over unpaid entitlements in the past.
However, they suspended their protests on August 4 after a meeting with officials of the ministries of Defence and Finance, who reportedly assured them that payments would be made by August 10.
