A group of retired Nigerian soldiers has resumed protests in Abuja, urgently demanding the immediate payment of their long-overdue entitlements.
The ex-servicemen had suspended an earlier protest on August 4 following a meeting with officials from the Ministries of Defence and Finance, during which they were promised that all outstanding payments would be made by August 10.
However, converging again at the Ministry of Finance headquarters in the nation’s capital, the protesting veterans accused the authorities of neglecting their welfare and failing to honour the agreement reached during last month’s meeting.
The aggrieved retired military men revealed that their patience has run out after waiting in vain for government intervention.
They insist that the failure to honour earlier commitments has left many of them and their families in distress, forcing them to resume their protest.
One of the protesters, a woman identified as Mama G, expressed disappointment over the government’s silence despite promising to meet to their demands.
“We are here because the promises made to us were never fulfilled. We had no choice but to return to the streets. This time around, the protest will be massive,” she said.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Headquarters, nor the Military Pension Board had released any official statement regarding the fresh protest.
