Pension row: Military veterans, board disagree over computation

Military veterans on Tuesday barricaded the entrance to the Military Pensions Board office in Abuja over alleged shortfalls in recent pension adjustments, as the board defended its computation formula, insisting that it had implemented the approved rates in accordance with the law.

The retirees blocked the entrance with canopies and chairs, while armed soldiers prevented them from entering the premises.

The protest followed weeks of disagreement over consequential pension adjustments approved after salary increases for serving military personnel took effect on September 1, 2026.

The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, had promised in September that retired military personnel would receive an increase in their pensions in October.

However, the veterans alleged that the amounts paid to them fell short of the approved percentages, prompting them to demand a review of the computation formula.

The coordinator of the Veterans Association of Nigeria, Lt Col Innocent Azubike (retd.), accused the board of adopting a formula that allegedly short-changed some retirees.

Azubike said the veterans were dissatisfied with what he described as inconsistent application of the adjustment criteria, alleging that some pensioners received different amounts despite being in similar categories.

He said the retirees wanted the board to acknowledge the complaints and demonstrate that the discrepancies would be corrected.

The protest also came amid concerns over the planned handover of the board’s leadership.

Azubike said the veterans wanted the disputed payments addressed before the outgoing chairman handed over to his successor.

The protesters were later invited for a meeting by the board.

However, the meeting between the board and the protesting veterans ended without a concrete agreement.

Speaking during the meeting, the Chairman of the Military Pensions Board, Air Vice Marshal Mikail Abdulraheem, said the board would address their complaints in accordance with the law.

“I will address these issues without attaching emotions to them because the board is guided by the law,” he said.

Speaking for the veterans, Master Warrant Officer (retd.) Sadura Augustine, said the retirees wanted the board to explain the disparity between the announced percentages and the amounts credited to their accounts.

“Our concern is that the announced percentages do not appear to correspond with the increases received by some pensioners,” he said.

Augustine cited the case of a master warrant officer who retired after 35 years of service, saying the annual total emolument for a serving officer in that category was about N5.21m, equivalent to N434,211 monthly.

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He argued that a retiree in the category should receive about 90 per cent of the relevant emolument, or approximately N390,790 monthly, but alleged that some received about N127,000 as the consequential adjustment.

“We want the board to explain the difference between what we believe should have been paid and what we actually received,” he said.

However, Abdulraheem disputed the basis of the veterans’ calculations, explaining that the N5.21m figure represented the salary structure for serving personnel and was not the basis for pension computation.

He said the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission issued a separate circular for pension and gratuity calculations, adding that the board merely implemented the approved rates.

“The board does not independently determine the salary rates,” he said.

On the alleged discrepancies, the chairman maintained that the approved percentages had already been incorporated into the revised salary structure for pension purposes.

“The percentages being discussed have already been incorporated into the revised salary structure for pension purposes,” he said.

Abdulraheem explained that the pension structure provided for 40 per cent of the relevant final emolument after 10 years of service, with two percentage points added for each additional year, up to 90 per cent after 35 years.

He insisted that the board was following an established framework rather than making arbitrary decisions.

“We are not applying personal opinions or arbitrary calculations,” he said.

The chairman said the board had invited the NSIWC and other relevant authorities to explain the computation, adding that the applicable documents would be made available for scrutiny.

“We want everyone to see the applicable documents and understand the computation rather than rely on assumptions,” he said.

He also accused some veterans of presenting figures that did not correspond with their pension records, saying he had asked those concerned to submit their documents for verification.

“Providing inaccurate information creates problems and makes it difficult to resolve these issues,” he said.

Abdulraheem urged the retirees to channel their complaints through a single recognised body, noting that several groups had separately approached the board over the same issue.

“The situation where every small group of veterans writes separately to the board on the same issues cannot continue,” he said.