We are living heroes and deserve to be recognised and treated right, not celebrated as fallen heroes when we are no more
A group of retired Nigerian Army personnel on Monday shut down the Ministry of Finance Headquarters in Abuja, demanding immediate payment of outstanding gratuities and allowances. The ex-servicemen, under the umbrella of Voluntary Discharged Soldiers 1st and 2nd quarters Retirees, barricaded the ministry’s main gate, preventing staff and officials from gaining entry.
Some of the protesters, dressed in military camouflage, insisted on the payment of their Security Debarment Allowance (SDA), parking allowance, and 43 months of withheld salaries. “We are living heroes and deserve to be recognised and treated right, not celebrated as fallen heroes when we are no more,” said Sergeant Augustine Agommo (rtd).
Efforts by a senior military officer, an Air Vice Marshal, to persuade the retirees to disperse were unsuccessful as they vowed to remain until their demands are met. Armed security personnel have since been deployed to maintain order.