DHQ Orders Protesting Ex-Soldiers To Vacate Finance Ministry’s Headquarters

By Tonia Okereke

The Defence Headquarters has ordered retired soldiers protesting at the Federal Ministry of Finance Headquarters in Abuja to leave the premises.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Markus Kanye, who issued the order at a media briefing on Thursday, said the aggrieved former soldiers are fully aware of the issues surrounding their payment.

He explained that the agitation stemmed from the introduction of two separate salary charts for military personnel in 2024, following the implementation of the new minimum wage.

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Frustrated retired military personnel had in August, protested the non-payment of their statutory entitlements at the Federal Ministry of Finance on Monday.

The ex-servicemen, comprising men and women and some of them dressed in military camouflage, barricaded the main gate of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, demanding the immediate payment of outstanding shortfalls in their gratuity, Security Debarment Allowance (SDA), and parking allowance.

“While the Defence Headquarters acknowledges the right to legitimate protest, the veterans are strongly advised to tread with caution and vacate the premises of the Federal Ministry of Finance to allow government functions to continue seamlessly.

“This is the message we have been directed to pass on, so that through your medium, our veterans and the Nigerian public can be properly informed.

“Let me reaffirm that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain fully committed to their constitutional mandate of defending the territorial integrity of our great nation, supporting civil authorities in maintaining internal security, and ensuring peace and stability across all regions,” Kangye added.

Kangye noted that gratuity and security debarment allowance for retired personnel are calculated based on the salary chart in effect on the date 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.

“The first, known as the pre-minimum wage chart, was effective from January 1, 2024, to July 28, 2024. I repeat: January 1, 2024, to July 28, 2024. This was the chart used to calculate the emoluments of retired soldiers and other military personnel.

“The second was the minimum wage chart, which took effect from July 29, 2024, and remains applicable to date. Now, the calculation of gratuity and security debarment allowance for military personnel is based on the salary chart in effect on the date of retirement.

“If a soldier retires today, his entitlements will be calculated using the current chart. If another chart is introduced tomorrow, the same soldier’s entitlements will not be recalculated based on the new chart.

“Unfortunately, the soldiers who retired between January 1 and July 28, 2024, before the implementation of the new minimum wage, want their gratuity and allowances calculated based on the new chart. This cannot be done because the policy only came into effect on July 29.

“Those who fall within the pre-minimum wage chart category are the soldiers who have continued to protest and block access to the Federal Ministry of Finance, despite repeated explanations from the Defence Headquarters,” he said.