Angry Military Veterans lay siege to Pension board over alleged Underpayment – Daily Trust

‎Military veterans have protested over alleged underpayment of their pensions, demanding an pressing recalculation of their entitlements in step with authorized changes to the salaries of serving army personnel.
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‎The protesters, led by Lt. Col. Innocent Azubuike, coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, stormed the Military Pensions Board in Abuja, on Tuesday morning.

They accused the board of utilizing a pension computation method that allegedly diminished the proportion will increase authorized for retired personnel.
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‎Speaking in the course of the protest on Tuesday, Azubuike mentioned the authorized 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.
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‎He alleged that the board failed to apply the authorized percentages instantly to the pensions veterans have been already receiving, as a substitute utilizing a calculation methodology that diminished their entitlements.
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‎“We have gotten presidential approval for the consequential allowance on the percentages allotted to various rank categories,” he mentioned.
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‎“Now, in paying us this consequential adjustment, Pension Board did not pay this very approved percentage.”
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‎Azubuike mentioned 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.
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‎According to him, the ministry acknowledged the omission and subsequently included them within the authorized changes.
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‎However, he accused the Military Pensions Board of introducing a calculation methodology that allegedly undermined the authorized will increase, even if the pension charges of retirees had already been decided by their ranks and years of service at retirement.
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‎He argued that the authorized proportion ought to apply to the pension every retiree was receiving earlier than the adjustment, relatively than being subjected to one other calculation primarily based on the circumstances below which the person retired.
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‎“Even though it’s short-changing the criteria, it’s short-changing military veterans, but that criteria wasn’t still followed,” he mentioned.

‎“We are about 100,000 military veterans,” he mentioned, including that he had data to assist the allegations of discrepancies in pension funds.
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‎Another protester, Master Warrant Officer Duru Augustine, mentioned the alleged underpayment had left retired personnel feeling betrayed after years of service to the nation.
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‎“Honestly, honestly, it’s bad. Having in your own constituency, being treated like a slave,” Augustine mentioned.
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‎He maintained that the dispute involved the implementation of authorized pension changes, which he mentioned veterans had fought to safe after discovering that retired personnel have been initially excluded.
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‎Augustine recalled that the veterans protested on August 19, after which, in accordance to him, the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, acknowledged their issues and supported their inclusion within the adjustment.
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‎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 authorized percentages relatively than introduce a special methodology.
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‎“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 to go back and do whatever he feels like doing,” he mentioned, referring to the alleged departure from the authorized adjustment framework.