Defence Headquarters Orders Protesting Ex-Soldiers to Vacate Finance Ministry Premises

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), has directed ex-military veterans protesting at the Federal Ministry of Finance over unpaid benefits to vacate the premises and allow government activities to function effectively.

The discharged soldiers, who since Monday had barricaded the entrance gate of the ministry in Abuja and prevented staff from entering, are demanding payment of their entitlements.

Speaking to defence correspondents on Thursday in Abuja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, said the military acknowledges the right to legitimate protest but stressed that the actions of the protesters are disrupting the smooth operations of the Ministry of Finance.

Cause of the Protest

According to General Kangye, the protest stems from grievances over the calculation of gratuity and Security Debarment Allowance (SDA). He explained that the Federal Government implemented a new minimum wage for all federal workers in July 2024.

“Before the implementation of the minimum wage, there was an existing salary chart on which gratuity and SDA were calculated,” he said. “Now, there are two charts: the Pre-Minimum Wage Chart, effective from 1 January to 28 July 2024, and the Minimum Wage Chart, effective from 29 July 2024 to date.”

He noted that gratuity and SDA for military personnel are always calculated based on the salary chart in effect at the time of retirement.

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

He said those who fall under the Pre-Minimum Wage Chart category are the ones who have continued to protest and barricade the Finance Ministry despite being sensitized on the matter by Defence Headquarters.

“It is necessary to reiterate that government policies have effective dates of implementation, and this case cannot be an exception,” he said.

“Their actions are seriously affecting the smooth conduct of activities at the Ministry of Finance. While the Defence Headquarters acknowledges the right to legitimate protest, the veterans are strongly advised to exercise caution and vacate the premises of the Federal Ministry of Finance to allow normal government functions to continue seamlessly.”