From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
A group of discharged Nigerian soldiers on Thursday resumed protests in Abuja, demanding the payment of their entitlements.
The ex-soldiers had earlier suspended their demonstrations on August 4 following a meeting with officials of the Ministries of Defence and Finance, where assurances were given that their outstanding payments would be settled by August 10.
However, the protesters, who converged on the Ministry of Finance headquarters in the nation’s capital, accused the authorities of neglect and failure to honour the commitments made last month.
The demonstrators carried large banners that read:
“Enough of the procrastination!!!!!
We, the 1st and 2nd quarter voluntary discharged soldiers of 2023, who disengaged from the army on the 15th of February 2024, demand immediate payment of our shortfall of gratuity, Security Debarment Allowance (SDA), and our packing allowance.”
One of the protesters, who identified herself as Mama G, said: “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 explained that they were forced back to the streets after previous assurances yielded no results.
This is not the first time the group has staged such demonstrations. In recent years, retired soldiers have repeatedly taken to the streets in Abuja and other cities over what they describe as unfair treatment and neglect.
As of the time of filing this report, the Ministry of Defence, Defence Headquarters, and Military Pension Board had yet to issue an official response.
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