By Anifowoshe Oladipupo
Retired soldiers on Monday suspended their week-long protest at the Ministry of Finance following assurances from the Federal Government that their outstanding entitlements would be settled before the weekend.
The ex-servicemen, who had gathered to demand corrections to payment discrepancies, dispersed quietly after a closed-door meeting with officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Military Pension Board.
Retired Sergeant Ekundayo Alisame, leader of the group, disclosed that officials had compiled the names of those affected and pledged to begin payments within days.
He noted that the key dispute was a flawed payment chart that wrongly categorized some veterans’ benefits.
“Our group should have been paid within the January to June range, not the July to December range used by the government,” Alisame explained.
The veterans also highlighted other concerns, including unpaid packing allowances and delays in benefit disbursements. Alisame urged President Bola Tinubu to establish a transparent system that clearly outlines soldiers’ entitlements from enlistment.
“A soldier’s benefits should be ready for collection immediately upon discharge,” he stressed.
The protest, which had earlier defied military orders to disperse, was called off after the government’s renewed promise of prompt payment.
