Retired Nigeria army officers protest over unpaid gratuity, pension deductions

By Kingston Magare 4-8-2025
While President Bola Tinubu was showering dollars on victorious Nigerian women sports teams, a group of retired soldiers army officers Monday staged a protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja, demanding the immediate payment of their outstanding entitlements.
The officers some of whom voluntarily disengaged in the third and fourth quarters of 2023 said almost a year after they haven’t been paid their entitlements, which include payment of gratuity and Salary Deductions Allowance (SDA) based on the new national minimum wage, payment of housing scheme contributions, payment of NAWIS/BenFund, and settlement of their packing allowance.
The protesters, many of whom said they had served the country diligently for years, expressed frustration over the delay, describing it as unfair treatment after years of service.
“We have fulfilled our part by serving this country faithfully. Now, it is the government’s duty to honour its promise and pay what is due to us,” one of the protesters said.
As of the time of filing this report, officials at the Ministry of Finance had yet to address the protesters.